the Whiteboard

Thursday, June 8, 2023

The ethical dilemma of self-driving cars

Self-driving cars are already cruising the streets today. And while these cars will ultimately be safer and cleaner than their manual counterparts, they can’t completely avoid accidents altogether. How should the car be programmed if it encounters an unavoidable accident?

Intro:

Crash testing AVs

Ted Lesson here:

The ethical dilemma of self-driving cars

Kahoot!

Wednesday, June 7, 2023

Debate

There will be two teams. One argues for, the other argues against.

1. Opening statements "for" (2-3 min)
2. Opening statement "against" (2-3 min)

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3. Brief questions from the "for "team (2-3 min)
4. Brief questions from the "against" team (2-3 min)

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5. Members of the "against" team present detailed arguments. (2-3 min)
6. Brief questions from the "for "team (2-3 min)

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7. Members of the "for" present details arguments. (2-3 min)
8. Brief questions from the "against "team (2-3 min)

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9. Closing statement from "for" team.
10. Closing statement from "against" team

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11. Post-debate reflection - what ideas and issues came out of the debate?

Advantages and disadvantages of AI

(Advanced) Down that rabbit hole - The Dangers of Big Data

Image result for zeynep tufekci on big data

Do you ever go on You Tube to watch one video and end up watching 27?

Watch from 8:20 -10:35

Discuss the clip. What are the implications of this?

We're building an artificial intelligence-powered dystopia, one click at a time, says techno-sociologist Zeynep Tufekci. In an eye-opening talk, she details how the same algorithms companies like Facebook, Google and Amazon use to get you to click on ads are also used to organize your access to political and social information. And the machines aren't even the real threat. What we need to understand is how the powerful might use AI to control us - and what we can do in response.

Watch here:

Zeynep Tufekci on technocracy

Listen from 1:55 - 4:00

1. What is persuasion architecture?

2. What is the difference between persuasion architecture in the digital and physical worlds?

Listen from 4:00 - 6:55

2. How would a traditional advertiser try to sell tickets to Vegas?

3. How is data now used to sell tickets to Vegas?

4. What is the "problem" with how complex algorithms work?

Discuss: Can you see why "growing" intelligence might be problematic?

Listen from 6:55 - 8:19

1. Why does Facebook want to collect as much data as possible on you?

2. What did a computer scientist discover about social media posts and the onset of mania?

3. Why was he afraid to publish his findings?

4. What do you think "off the shelf" means?

Continue watching and collect the points to use in a debate against the gathering of personal data.

Monday, June 5, 2023

Pecha Kucha on Dance styles

Dance Styles

I'm Tight

Do you know any of these dance styles?

Predict what they will be like.

The Cake walk

Crunk

The Dutty Wine

The Easy Skank

The Gully Creepa

The Harlem Shake

The Chicken Noodle Soup

Jerking

The Kuduro

The Lindy Hop

The Nuh Linga

The Pooch Yea

The Rubba Bounce

The Sissy Bounce

Snap

The Sponge Bob

The Stanky Leg

The Stick and Roll

The Wu Tang

Twerking

Waacking

After watching.

Was this a successful Peach Kucha? If, so why?

Peer evaluation of a Pecha Kucha

Compliment

Tell the team what you thought they did well or tell the team something that you learned from the presentation.

Examples:  "Your team certainly gathered a lot of information about ..."  "You did an excellent job in explaining ..."  "I didn't know_______________ before your presentation."

Question

Ask a neutral question to help clarify something about the presentation or topic presented. DO NOT ask questions in attempt to trip up the presenter!

Examples:  "Did you find out when these games were first used in the military?"  "Of all the games you talked about, which do you think is the most useful?"

Suggestion

Give ideas on how the presentation could be improved. Your suggestions should be positive and delivered with encouragement.

Examples:  "I wish the images on the slides were bigger, they were a bit hard to see."  "Maybe another time you could include more information about______________"

We Need a Moral Operating System

Damon Horowitz reviews the enormous new powers that technology gives us: to know more — and more about each other — than ever before. Drawing the audience into a philosophical discussion, Horowitz invites us to pay new attention to the basic philosophy — the ethical principles — behind the burst of invention remaking our world. Where's the moral operating system that allows us to make sense of it?

Watch:

A Moral Operating System

1. What kind of audience is Damon speaking to?

2. What kind of power do they have?

3. “But it brings me back. I think about World War II -- some of our great technologists then, some of our great physicists, studying nuclear fission and fusion -- just nuclear stuff.” Why does Damon say this? what’s he getting at?

4. Which philosopher proposed solving moral problems like arithmetic?

5. Why did Aristotle disagree?

6. What did Mill think?

7. What did Kant think?

8. What is the "banality of evil."

9. How does Damon suggest creating a moral framework or operating system?

Discussion

Does the IT and communications industry have the kind of power Damon claims it does?

Does it concern you that the Internet is collecting an intimate record of your life? How could this be abused?

What about Plato’s idea of moral arithmetic? Isn’t it a bit similar to the idea of our moral dilemmas such as the self-driving car scenario? Could a computer actually be a better moral judge than a human?

What would Aristotle say about the self-driving car scenario? What about Mill or Kant?

What do you think Damon really means by a moral operating system?

Debate topic

Should companies gather personal data about their customers?

Information privacy is a big and growing issue. Every time you log onto the internet and visit an online retailer, news company, or social media site, companies gather information about you. Actually, they gather information about your offline life too. They constantly buy, sell and sort data about you. This is big business. This collected data helps the algorithms work better so that you can be better profiled by AI for these companies. Should private companies have the right to do this, or should the practice be banned? Why do you think so?

Before you leap to the conclusion that such a practice is immoral and illegitimate, take a moment to reflect on the possible benefits of AI technology having this amazingly detailed data.

In groups think or research the positive and negative implications of data collection.

You can do some online research of you like.

What can justify the collection of personal data by businesses or even the government?

What can justify the prohibition of this data collection?

Aristotle

A general introduction to Aristotle:

Listen to the first section (about Ethics)

Pause at 3.33

Aristotle

First big job:
Worked with _____ at Athens
Founded the school called the _______
Liked to ____ about while discussing things
His students were called the P_______ (the wanderers)

For Aristotle, Philosophy was about ______ wisdom
He was interested in ___ main problems

1. What ?
Proposed we should get better at identifying ___ virtues
Virtues were seen as being halfway between _____
We can't change our behaviour just at the drop of a ___
Aristotle said that moral goodness is the result of ____

Pause at 3.33

A general introduction to Aristotle on Ethics, Happiness and Virtue:

Aristotle on Ethics, Happiness, and Virtue

Saturday, June 3, 2023

Fame

Fame (fame) ________________________overFame (fame) lets him lose ________________Fame (fame) puts you ___________________Fame (fame)Fame ____________ it's just the flameThat puts your change to keep you ____________

Fame (fame)Fame (fame) what you like is __________Fame (fame) what you get _______________Fame (fame) what you need ________________Fame (fame)Fame nein it's mine is just his lineTo bind our time it drives you to __________Fame (fame)Could it be the best could it be?Really be really babeCould it be my babe could it babe?Could it babe could it babe?____________________ you firstFame (fame) fame fameIs it any wonder __________________Fame (fame)Fame _______________ chilly for meGot to get a rain check on _______________FameFame fame fame fame fameFame fame fame fame fameFame fame fame fame fameFame fame fame fame fameFame fame fameFameWhat's your name?What's your name?What's your name?...

Feeling so gay

Fame

Fame (fame) makes a man take things over

Fame (fame) lets him lose hard to swallowFame (fame) puts you there where things are hollowFame (fame)Fame not your brain it's just the flameThat puts your change to keep you sane (sane)Fame (fame)Fame (fame) what you like is in the limoFame (fame) what you get is no tomorrowFame (fame) what you need you have to borrowFame (fame)Fame nein it's mine is just his lineTo bind our time it drives you to crime (crime)Fame (fame)Could it be the best could it be?Really be really babeCould it be my babe could it babe?Could it babe could it babe?Is it any wonder I reject you firstFame (fame) fame fameIs it any wonder you are too cool to foolFame (fame)Fame bully for you chilly for meGot to get a rain check on pain(Pain)FameFame fame fame fame fameFame fame fame fame fameFame fame fame fame fameFame fame fame fame fameFame fame fameFameWhat's your name?What's your name?What's your name?...Feeling so gay