Ethics of Perception in Nanocognition

(Nanorobot-aided Cognition)

Melanie Swan Futurist Philosopher

MS Futures Group+1-650-681-9482

m@MelanieSwan.com

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

m@MelanieSwan.com

9th Annual Workshop on Geoethical Nanotechnology - July 20, 2013 Slides: http://slideshare.net/LaBlogga

Thank you!