What machine-made decisions mean for our society

Can a computer enter into a contract?

That’s one of the questions that got Dr. Ian Kerr, Canada Research Chair in Ethics, Law and Technology, excited about human-robot interaction and its implications for society.

When the question first came up over two decades ago, it was a narrow, practical matter. In the emerging e-commerce sector, vendors needed a way to automate the transaction process—and a new legal framework to ensure the validity of transactions carried out by machines.

For Kerr, this opened up a world of philosophical, ethical and legal questions about the nature of machines, the tasks they might be permitted to perform autonomously and the policies required for their governance.

“I’m fascinated by the merger of humans and machines—what happens when we start putting machine parts into humans and building human attributes into machines,” he said. “How do we maintain our humanism as machines encroach upon our lives?”

Handing over decisions to machines

As we delegate more tasks to artificial intelligence (AI), Kerr’s work has examined a number of related issues. Does automated digital surveillance compromise privacy if no human eyes ever see the data? How do we ensure the design and operation of driverless vehicles respect mobility and equality rights? Should autonomous weapons be permitted to make life-and-death decisions?

One of Kerr’s recent projects looks at the human tendency to trust technology both too much and too little, with the aim of finding ways to encourage the appropriate level of trust.

“We need enough trust so we don’t miss opportunities afforded by technology, but not so much that we fail to anticipate harmful outcomes,” he said.

Building a new framework

Much of Kerr’s work is geared toward shaping policies and laws governing AI. He has worked with organizations like the International Conference of Data Protection and Privacy Commissioners, as well as government departments including Transport Canada and the Department of National Defence, on issues ranging from digital surveillance to driverless cars and autonomous weapons. But he’s also looking further into the future.

“We’re in the early stages of thinking about these things,” he said. “We don’t yet have the right language to frame the conversation. So one of my mission-critical jobs is to help the next generation figure out how to think about and solve these issues—both today and 10 years from now.”

As part of that, Kerr is currently working on a graphic novel that presents the existing knowledge in the field in a way that allows broader audiences to gain insights into the challenges and the work still to be done.

“Through traditional publications and presentations, my research is well known and easily available,” he said. “But it’s very siloed and often delivered directly to people who are already experts in this field. A Planet of Playthings aims to excite the public and engage them in ways that will encourage them to participate in decisions we have to make about robots and AI in our society.”

Want to learn more?

Follow Kerr’s work on his website and on Twitter (@ianrkerr).