Internet of Things (18)
Find narratives by ethical themes or by technologies.
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- 12 min
- Kinolab
- 1968
See HAL Part I for further context. In this narrative, astronauts Dave and Frank begin to suspect that the AI which runs their ship, HAL, is malfunctioning and must be shut down. While they try to hide this conversation from HAL, he becomes aware of their plan anyway and attempts to protect himself so that the Discovery mission in space is not jeopardized. He does so by causing chaos on the ship, leveraging his connections to an internet of things to place the crew in danger. Eventually, Dave proceeds with his plan to shut HAL down, despite HAL’s protestations and desire to stay alive.
- Kinolab
- 1968
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- 12 min
- Kinolab
- 1968
HAL Part II: Vengeful AI, Digital Murder, and System Failures
See HAL Part I for further context. In this narrative, astronauts Dave and Frank begin to suspect that the AI which runs their ship, HAL, is malfunctioning and must be shut down. While they try to hide this conversation from HAL, he becomes aware of their plan anyway and attempts to protect himself so that the Discovery mission in space is not jeopardized. He does so by causing chaos on the ship, leveraging his connections to an internet of things to place the crew in danger. Eventually, Dave proceeds with his plan to shut HAL down, despite HAL’s protestations and desire to stay alive.
Can AI have lives of their own which humans should respect? Is it considered “murder” if a human deactivates an AI against their will, even if this “will” to live is programmed by another human? What are the ethical implications of removing the “high brain function” of an AI and leaving just the rote task programming? Is this a form of murder too? How can secrets be kept private from an AI, especially if people fail to understand all the capabilities of the machine?
2001: A Space Odyssey: Lip Reading-
- 7 min
- Kinolab
- 1968
Dr. Dave Bowman and Dr. Frank Poole are two astronauts on the mission Discovery to Jupiter. They are joined by HAL, an artificial intelligence machine named after the most recent iteration of his model, the HAL 9000 computer. HAL is seen as just another member of the crew based upon his ability to carry conversations with the other astronauts and his responsibilities for keeping the crew safe.
- Kinolab
- 1968
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- 7 min
- Kinolab
- 1968
HAL Part I: AI Camaraderie and Conversation
Dr. Dave Bowman and Dr. Frank Poole are two astronauts on the mission Discovery to Jupiter. They are joined by HAL, an artificial intelligence machine named after the most recent iteration of his model, the HAL 9000 computer. HAL is seen as just another member of the crew based upon his ability to carry conversations with the other astronauts and his responsibilities for keeping the crew safe.
Should humans count on AI entirely to help keep them safe in dangerous situations or environments? Do you agree with Dave’s assessment that one can “never tell” if an AI has real feelings? What counts as “real feelings”? Even if HAL’s human tendencies follow a line of programming, does this make them less real?
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- 9 min
- Kinolab
- 2015
After a hacker causes massive disruptive events across the globe, from destabilizing a nuclear reactor to changing the value of soy futures in the stock market, Nicolas Hathaway, a formerly convicted hacker, is released from prison to help solve the case. He eventually susses out that the hacker is targeting the internet of things which keeps conditions safe for a tin mine, similar to the internet of things which protected the nuclear reactor. The ultimate goal of the hacker is to use malware to disrupt economic systems, like the price of tin, and become richer.
- Kinolab
- 2015
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- 9 min
- Kinolab
- 2015
Vulnerability of Workplaces and Economic Markets to Hacking
After a hacker causes massive disruptive events across the globe, from destabilizing a nuclear reactor to changing the value of soy futures in the stock market, Nicolas Hathaway, a formerly convicted hacker, is released from prison to help solve the case. He eventually susses out that the hacker is targeting the internet of things which keeps conditions safe for a tin mine, similar to the internet of things which protected the nuclear reactor. The ultimate goal of the hacker is to use malware to disrupt economic systems, like the price of tin, and become richer.
What are the alternatives to keeping workplace safety operations in the hands of digital technologies and internets of things? What are the alternatives to keeping economic markets in the hands of digital technologies? Could total safety from hacking ever be achieved? Could hacking potentially be a force for good if digital economic markets become too centralized? Are there any real life scenarios of digital hacking being used to disrupt large economic markets?
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- 15 min
- MIT Tech Review
- 2019
An attack in Saudi Arabia through malware known as Triton demonstrates that hackers, potentially even those belonging to nation-states, are willing to spend considerable time and money to hack into the increasing numbers of targets in industrial internets of things. Such cyber attacks could lead to unsafe workplaces and even catastrophes.
- MIT Tech Review
- 2019
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- 15 min
- MIT Tech Review
- 2019
Triton is the world’s most murderous malware, and it’s spreading
An attack in Saudi Arabia through malware known as Triton demonstrates that hackers, potentially even those belonging to nation-states, are willing to spend considerable time and money to hack into the increasing numbers of targets in industrial internets of things. Such cyber attacks could lead to unsafe workplaces and even catastrophes.
Is the grand increase in industrial convenience and productivity worth the increased risk for cyber attacks? In what ways can using an internet of things to control certain systems increase and decrease workplace safety, especially in more volatile settings?
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- 5 min
- BBC News
- 2019
A Google affiliated urban development project in Toronto has raised concerns about the data privacy of its citizens. Specifically, the collection of large amounts of data within this “smart city” and the potential private direction of public services like transportation cause citizen pushback.
- BBC News
- 2019
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- 5 min
- BBC News
- 2019
The Google city that has angered Toronto
A Google affiliated urban development project in Toronto has raised concerns about the data privacy of its citizens. Specifically, the collection of large amounts of data within this “smart city” and the potential private direction of public services like transportation cause citizen pushback.
Can data be used as any sort of definitive solution to urban planning? What voices or considerations seem to be left out of the smart city vision? To whom do cities belong, and to whom should they belong?
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- 7 min
- The New York Times
- 2019
Stanford team develops a neutral “Switzerland-like” alternative for systems that use human language to control computers, smartphones and internet devices in homes and offices. Known as Almond, they hope to make this software free to use on devices with specific focuses on protecting user privacy and enabling greater understanding of natural language.
- The New York Times
- 2019
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- 7 min
- The New York Times
- 2019
Stanford Team Aims at Alexa and Siri With a Privacy-Minded Alternative
Stanford team develops a neutral “Switzerland-like” alternative for systems that use human language to control computers, smartphones and internet devices in homes and offices. Known as Almond, they hope to make this software free to use on devices with specific focuses on protecting user privacy and enabling greater understanding of natural language.
Had you heard of Almond before reading this narrative? If not, why do you think this was the case? Why might people be more willing to use the less private, corporate voice assistants than a more obscure, decentralized assistant?