自治系统的对与错
Autonomous systems such as smart robots and self-driving vehicles are becoming features of our lives. 但是我们如何确保负责任地使用和开发它们呢? 在第二集 零压力播客, Dr 海伦沙曼 speaks to Professor Virginia Dignum and Associate Professor 丹尼斯·加西亚 about the rights and restrictions that should apply to autonomous systems and autonomous weapons.
自治系统可以为社会带来巨大的利益, 只要人类对它们负责. And scientists and medium-sized powers have vital roles to play in creating trust and cooperation over how to regulate autonomous weapons.
These are two of the key messages to emerge from the intriguing second episode of the 零压力播客 来自伦敦帝国理工学院和亚洲体育博彩平台, a relaxed conversation with people on the cutting edge of science and technology that’s hosted by the UK’s first astronaut, 海伦沙曼.
系统不应该负责——我们应该负责
Autonomous systems are freeing us from repetitive and time-consuming tasks on the factory floor, 办公室和家庭. But the advent of self-driving cars and other autonomous vehicles makes some nervous about whether we are losing control and letting machines make decisions for us.
Virginia Dignum, Full Professor of Responsible Artificial Intelligence at the University of Umeå in Sweden, the risks of autonomous systems should always be offset by the fact that they act according to information and instructions from humans.
“自主系统是经过编程的软件系统, 它可以根据环境做出决定，而无需与他人互动. And they’ve actually been around for a long time – your thermostat is an example,” she explains.
“重要的是要认识到，系统本身没有理解能力. 它只是一个工具——基于已编入程序的信息.”
从这个角度来看, Professor Dignum tells 海伦沙曼 that concerns over autonomous systems thinking for themselves and slipping from our control are looking at the issue from the wrong angle.
“我们需要避免仅仅因为系统是自主的叙述, 责任很难确定. 这不是. 有人决定使用别人做的自治系统. 系统本身只是决策和生产生态系统的一部分.”
She advocates education and training to help us be aware we can ask questions and realise that we can still affect outcomes, 而不是放弃责任.
但积极的一面大于消极的一面.
“我们的部分责任是在需要的时候使用这个系统,迪格南教授说.
“It’s easy to fall into talking about the negatives of these systems and what can go wrong with them, but I think one of the most important things to realise is that the worst that can happen is to not use autonomous systems when they can be beneficial for us. These types of systems can potentially solve extremely complex issues that we cannot solve by ourselves.
“我们需要这些人工制品来增强我们处理复杂问题的能力, 比如气候变化和流感大流行.”
监管的重要性
与迪格南教授的自信相反, 丹尼斯·加西亚, Associate Professor of Political Science and International Affairs at Northeastern University in the US city of Boston, 更加谨慎.
Professor Garcia researches on international law and the questions of lethal robotics and artificial intelligence. Her main concern is that the rise of autonomous weapons systems such as drones create a distance between the humans behind them and the responsibility for the actions these machines carry out.
“在战争中设定目标时, generals usually base them on military doctrine in combination with legal advisors who know about international humanitarian law - the laws of war.
“But there are concerns that autonomous weapons can’t distinguish between civilians and combatants, 比如无人机的使用, which are lowering the threshold for going to war and putting human rights in peril.”
加西亚教授, 国际法是“战争中人性的最后灯塔”, 禁止化学武器和地雷等武器. She firmly disagrees with the idea that autonomous weapons could be a way to propel us towards full disarmament.
有希望的迹象
然而, Professor Garcia is also optimistic about the world’s capacity for regulating this technology.
“比如塞拉利昂这样的中小国家, 巴西, 智利, 奥地利, 德国, 加拿大 are finding ways to work on things that are hardest to move along the political spectrum,她说。.
“如果我们看看关于臭氧层的国际条约, 国际空间站或应对Covid-19大流行, we can see how we can put our trust in scientists and diplomats to put aside rivalries to cooperate with others and resolve issues that affect us all.”
“必听”播客
这是伦敦帝国理工学院和亚洲体育博彩平台的第二期播客 零压力 系列是“必听”，充满了刺激的辩论和讨论. 它可以在大多数播客平台上使用，包括Spotify、谷歌和苹果.
欢迎您的问题，评论和建议，以供将来的讨论. 在你最喜欢的播客平台上关注这个系列 推特 及时了解最新情况并参与其中!