Ethics of Perception in Nanocognition
(Nanorobot-aided Cognition)
Melanie Swan Futurist Philosopher
MS Futures Group+1-650-681-9482
9th Annual Workshop on Geoethical Nanotechnology - July 20, 2013 Slides: http://slideshare.net/LaBlogga
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Melanie Swan• Hedge fund manager, futurist, startup
entrepreneur (DIYgenomics), philosopher • Singularity University Instructor, IEET
Affiliate Scholar, EDGE contributor• Work experience: Fidelity, JP Morgan,
Arthur Andersen, iPass, RHK/Ovum• Education: MBA Finance, Wharton; BA
French/Economics, Georgetown Univ.• Sample publications: MelanieSwan.com
– Swan, M. The Quantified Self: Fundamental Disruption in Big Data Science and Biological Discovery. Big Data 2013, 1(2): 85-99.
– Swan, M. Crowdsourced Health Research Studies: An Important Complement to Clinical Trials. J Med Internet Res 2012, Mar;14(2):e46.
– Swan, M. Multigenic Condition Risk Assessment in Direct-to-Consumer Genomic Services. Genet. Med. 2010, May;12(5):279-88.
– Swan, M. Translational antiaging research. Rejuvenation Research 2010, Feb;13(1):115-7.– Swan, M. Engineering Life into Technology: the Application of Complexity Theory to a
Potential Phase Transition of Intelligence. Symmetry 2010, 2, 150:183. Source: http://melanieswan.com/publications.htm
Agenda
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• What are Cognitive Nanorobots? • Geoethics of Cognitive Nanorobots• Cognition: Perception and Memory• Models of Ethics• Killer Apps of Cognitive Nanorobots• Ethics of Cognitive Nanorobots
What are Cognitive Nanorobots?
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• Analog to Medical Nanorobots• Cognition is just another… – Biological function– ‘Pathology’ to ameliorate
• Biocompatibility of medical nanorobots with neural cells1
– Mechanical– Physiological– Immunological– Cytological– Biochemical 1Freitas, R Jr. Nanomedicine, Volume IIA: Biocompatibility. 15.3.6.5 Biocompatibility with Neural Cells.
http://www.nanomedicine.com/NMIIA/15.3.6.5.htm
Images: corporeality.net, fineartamerica.com
Geoethics of Cognitive Nanorobots
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• Level I Geoethical Concerns – Manufacturing and disposal– Neural prosthesis– Functionality– Accessibility (digital divide)– Security and mind viruses– Authentication
• Level II Geoethical Concerns – Transformation, editing of human
cognitive processes– Edits could include environmental
axiology (re-valorization)
Cognition: Perception and Memory
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• Henri Bergson (1859-1941)– Mathematician– Quantum mechanics predictor– Science and psychology scholar
• Doubling (quantitative and qualitative (overlapping))– Time, intensity, state, memory– Self, consciousness
• Time: clock time and the inner experience of time (duration)
• Free will over determinism – Spontaneity
Perception and Memory
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• Topic: mind/body dualism• Perception and memory are an
interactive process of the body and mind
• Time and movement• Privilege time as space,
how/when (not where) memory is stored
• Exercise: memory retrieval
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• Act-based (right act with right motive)– Categorical Imperative (always right/wrong) (Kant)– Utilitarianism (outcome maximization) and
Consequentialism (end justifies means) (Bentham, Mill)• Agent-based– Virtue ethics: role of character (Aristotle, Aquinas)– Dispositionism: individual traits predict behavior
• Situation, context, and ecosystem-based (1968)– Situationism: social context produces behavior – Ethics of Care (Gilligan): morality arises from interaction
Models of Ethics
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• Bergson (Free Will and Time; Matter and Memory)
– Direct contact with the real, true duration • Heidegger (Being and Time; Building, Dwelling, Thinking)
– A conscious authentic life– Dwell meaningfully as human implacement,
being ‘in’ place, as an extension of identity• Foucault (Discipline and Punish)
– Power: omnipresent micropower relations, biopower and self-disciplinary power
• Deleuze (Anti-Oedipus, A Thousand Plateaus)
– Thinking and life, plane of immanence– Non-fascist life, desiring-production
Process Philosopher Ethics
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Connecting Perception to Ethics: Machine Ethics Interfaces
• Possibility of ‘objective’ reality as an input?
• Many-tiered existing biases– Biology– Society/culture– Individual/group
• Ethics of Reality• UX issues
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• Bias reduction• Memory management• Value system elicitation and
optimization• Perceptual enhancement– Different ‘objective’ realities– See time, see movement in time
and space– Notice subjective experience
• Desire elicitation and modification
Killer Apps of Cognitive Nanorobotics
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• Trend of self-awareness, disclosure, destigmatization, taboo removal
• Group ethics models– Old: okay unless harms others, ‘do unto others’– New: Negotiation per disclosure, automated
mediation through anonymous disclosure
Individual / Group Ethics
Medicine (genomics), behavior (QS), personal/professional life
blending, sexual orientation, gender identification
Neurodiversity: mental health, mental
performance Desires
Time now
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• Overt consideration of machine ethics modules
• Subjective experience enhancement
• Ethics/values/desires elicitation and optimization
• Progression and transformation in ethics paradigms
Geoethics of Cognitive Nanorobots
Ethics of Perception and Nanocognition (Nanorobot-aided
Cognition)
Melanie Swan Futurist Philosopher
MS Futures Group+1-650-681-9482
9th Annual Workshop on Geoethical Nanotechnology - July 20, 2013 Slides: http://slideshare.net/LaBlogga
Thank you!