Promotion of Human Values (142)
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-
- 10 min
- Kinolab
- 2018
This narrative provides two different case studies of remote-controlled vehicles in the story of T’Challa’s attempts to properly rule his country, Wakanda. T’Challa, also known as the superhero Black Panther, makes use of this technology to put a stop to criminals who threaten his people and his power. In the first clip, T’Challa and his companions track down Ulysses Klaue, a notorious criminal who formerly stole from Wakanda, down the streets of Busan, Korea. In the second clip, agent Everett Ross makes use of the technology to pilot a drone, which he uses to shoot down autonomous drones carrying weapons from Wakanda to the rest of the world.
- Kinolab
- 2018
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- 10 min
- Kinolab
- 2018
Remote Controlled Driving of Vehicles
This narrative provides two different case studies of remote-controlled vehicles in the story of T’Challa’s attempts to properly rule his country, Wakanda. T’Challa, also known as the superhero Black Panther, makes use of this technology to put a stop to criminals who threaten his people and his power. In the first clip, T’Challa and his companions track down Ulysses Klaue, a notorious criminal who formerly stole from Wakanda, down the streets of Busan, Korea. In the second clip, agent Everett Ross makes use of the technology to pilot a drone, which he uses to shoot down autonomous drones carrying weapons from Wakanda to the rest of the world.
When operating vehicles remotely, how is it easy for the driver to become desensitized to the surroundings of the vehicle? Might entertainment technology such as violent video games play a role in such desensitization? What phenomena of a street or other driving environment may or may not be abstracted into a digital map of the vehicle’s surroundings?
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- 3 min
- Kinolab
- 2019
Rachel, a fifteen year old fan of the pop star Ashley O, is gifted an Ashley Too doll for her birthday. Ashley Too is a robot who contains a synaptic snapshot of Ashley O, and thus emulates her personality and can carry on a conversation with the owner of the doll.
- Kinolab
- 2019
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- 3 min
- Kinolab
- 2019
Digital Duplicates and Friendship
Rachel, a fifteen year old fan of the pop star Ashley O, is gifted an Ashley Too doll for her birthday. Ashley Too is a robot who contains a synaptic snapshot of Ashley O, and thus emulates her personality and can carry on a conversation with the owner of the doll.
How can robots and devices such as the Ashley Too doll help children cope with grief or loneliness? How can it be ensured that children branch out in their connections beyond such robots? What are the issues present with modeling artificial companions after real-life public figures?
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- 13 min
- Kinolab
- 2001
In an imagined 22nd century in which climate change has wreaked havoc on the Earth, scientists have created “Mechas,” or humanoid robots. A certain group of scientists begins to dedicate themselves to creating a robot who is capable of love and of having dreams. David, one of these new robots, is tested with Monica, a mother whose son is in a coma after contracting a mysterious disease.
- Kinolab
- 2001
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- 13 min
- Kinolab
- 2001
Relationships and Love with Robotic Children
In an imagined 22nd century in which climate change has wreaked havoc on the Earth, scientists have created “Mechas,” or humanoid robots. A certain group of scientists begins to dedicate themselves to creating a robot who is capable of love and of having dreams. David, one of these new robots, is tested with Monica, a mother whose son is in a coma after contracting a mysterious disease.
Do humans have the capacity to love robots back as much as a robot may love them? Is the creation of robotic children a valid way to help former or prospective parents through a grieving process? What are the implications of a robot outliving those that they may love? Is the view of robots as “fake” or “disposable” compatible with their capability to love?
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- 14 min
- Kinolab
- 2014
In the midst of World War II, mathematics prodigy Alan Turing is hired by the British government to help decode Enigma, the code used by Germans in their encrypted messages. Turing builds an expensive machine meant to help decipher the code in a mathematical manner, but the lack of speedy results incites the anger of his fellow coders and the British government. After later being arrested for public indecency, Turing discusses with the officer the basis for the modern “Turing Test,” or how to tell if one is interacting with a human or a machine. Turing argues that although machines think differently than humans, it should still be considered a form of thinking. His work displayed in this film became a basis of the modern computer.
- Kinolab
- 2014
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- 14 min
- Kinolab
- 2014
Decryption and Machine Thinking
In the midst of World War II, mathematics prodigy Alan Turing is hired by the British government to help decode Enigma, the code used by Germans in their encrypted messages. Turing builds an expensive machine meant to help decipher the code in a mathematical manner, but the lack of speedy results incites the anger of his fellow coders and the British government. After later being arrested for public indecency, Turing discusses with the officer the basis for the modern “Turing Test,” or how to tell if one is interacting with a human or a machine. Turing argues that although machines think differently than humans, it should still be considered a form of thinking. His work displayed in this film became a basis of the modern computer.
How did codebreaking help launch computers? What was Alan Turing’s impact on computing, and on the outcome of WW2? How can digital technologies be used to turn the tides for the better in a war? Are computers in our age too advanced for codes to be secret for long, and is this a positive or a negative? How do machines think? Should a machines intelligence be judged by the same standards as human intelligence?
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- 7 min
- Kinolab
- 2016
Eleanor Shellstrop, a deceased selfish woman, ended up in the utopic afterlife The Good Place by mistake after her death. She spins an elaborate web of lies to ensure that she is not sent to be tortured in The Bad Place. In this narrative, her friend and ethics teacher, Chidi, teaches her about the ethical concepts of utilitarianism, or providing for as much net good impact as possible, and contractualism, or reciprocally upholding promises. For more overall context on the plotting of the series, see the Wikipedia page for Season One: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Good_Place_(season_1).
- Kinolab
- 2016
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- 7 min
- Kinolab
- 2016
Utilitarianism and Contractualism
Eleanor Shellstrop, a deceased selfish woman, ended up in the utopic afterlife The Good Place by mistake after her death. She spins an elaborate web of lies to ensure that she is not sent to be tortured in The Bad Place. In this narrative, her friend and ethics teacher, Chidi, teaches her about the ethical concepts of utilitarianism, or providing for as much net good impact as possible, and contractualism, or reciprocally upholding promises. For more overall context on the plotting of the series, see the Wikipedia page for Season One: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Good_Place_(season_1).
How can and should technology companies uphold the principles of utilitarianism and contractualism in the creation of new technologies and their overall interactions with society? Do technology companies have enough positive impacts to compensate for their negative impacts? What do technology companies owe to society at large, in terms of advancement and social justice? Should technology and social media companies focus solely on “having fun,” or do they have a responsibility to engage in more social entrepreneurship and equity goals?