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Obama and Joi Ito on AI
by J.C. DE MARTIN Oct. 13, 2016

Oct. 13, 2016

https://www.wired.com/2016/10/president-obama-mit-joi-ito-interview IT’S HARD TO think of a single technology that will shape our world more in the next 50 years than artificial intelligence. As machine learning enables our computers to teach themselves, a wealth of breakthroughs emerge, ranging from medical diagnostics to cars that drive themselves. A whole lot of worry emerges as well. Who controls this technology? Will it take over our jobs? Is it dangerous? President Obama was eager to address these concerns. The person he wanted to talk to most about them? Entrepreneur and MIT Media Lab director Joi Ito. So I sat down with them in the White House to sort through the hope, the hype, and the fear around AI. That and maybe just one quick question about /Star Trek/. —Scott Dadich <https://www.wired.com/author/scott-dadich/>

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"Vivi internet, al sicuro" (Google, Garante privacy ...)
by Giorgio Mancosu Oct. 12, 2016

Oct. 12, 2016

Segnalo il seguente evento di interesse (dettagli nel *comunicato stampa allegato*): *Mese della sicurezza informatica: Al via la nuova edizione di ‘Vivi internet, al sicuro’ * *Nelle piazze e nelle università di cinque città, Google insieme a Polizia Postale e delle Comunicazioni, Altroconsumo e Accademia italiana del codice di internet per sensibilizzare i cittadini sugli strumenti di tutela della privacy e della sicurezza e formare i professionisti di domani* *Il Minuto della prevenzione digitale: un tour nelle piazze di 5 città italiane* Prende il via *sabato 15 ottobre* a Milano nell’ex campo di Grano di Porta Nuova nelle vicinanze di piazza Gae Aulenti, il tour dedicato a *“il Minuto della prevenzione digitale”*. Un bus Google attraverserà le piazze di cinque città italiane (*Milano, Cagliari, Napoli, Bologna e Roma*), con l’obiettivo di sensibilizzare gli italiani sulla necessità di prestare maggiore attenzione a come vengono gestiti i propri dati online e, attraverso la presenza di esperti formati da Google, rappresentanti della Polizia Postale e delle Comunicazioni e di Altroconsumo, offrire suggerimenti su come proteggere i dati online e navigare sicuri. *Formazione nelle università* Per favorire il dibattito sui temi della privacy e della sicurezza online, insieme all’Accademia italiana del codice di internet, prenderà il via nelle università delle stesse città un’attività di approfondimento e formazione dedicata alla disamina di specifiche tematiche di privacy e di sicurezza. I diversi appuntamenti vedranno la partecipazione di rappresentanti dell’*Autorità garante per la protezione dei dati personali*. In apertura di ciascuna tappa, un convegno che vedrà la partecipazione di relatori istituzionali e accademici avrà lo scopo di esplorare le questioni più rilevanti concernenti ciascun tema trattato. Nella seconda giornata del martedì avranno invece luogo due workshop rivolti a studenti, laureati e giovani ricercatori, praticanti avvocati, ma anche a docenti, rappresentanti del mondo delle istituzioni, delle imprese, e *startupper*. Cordialità Giorgio Mancosu Giorgio Mancosu <http://people.unica.it/giorgiomancosu/> PhD in Public Law Università di Cagliari (IT) Université Panthéon-Assas Paris 2 (FR)

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WhiteHouse: "Preparing for the Future of Artificial Intelligence"
by J.C. DE MARTIN Oct. 12, 2016

Oct. 12, 2016

The Administration’s Report on the Future of Artificial Intelligence October 12, 2016 at 6:02 AM ET by Ed Felton and Terah Lyons https://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2016/10/12/administrations-report-future-ar… Summary: A new report from the Administration focuses on the opportunities, considerations, and challenges of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Under President Obama’s leadership, America continues to be the world’s most innovative country, with the greatest potential to develop the industries of the future and harness science and technology to help address important challenges. Over the past 8 years, President Obama has relentlessly focused on building U.S. capacity in science and technology. This Thursday, President Obama will host the White House Frontiers Conference <http://www.frontiersconference.org> in Pittsburgh to imagine the Nation and the world in 50 years and beyond, and to explore America’s potential to advance towards the frontiers that will make the world healthier, more prosperous, more equitable, and more secure.// Today, to ready the United States for a future in which Artificial Intelligence (AI) plays a growing role, the White House is releasing a report on future directions and considerations for AI called Preparing for the Future of Artificial Intelligence <https://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/whitehouse_files/microsites/…>. This report surveys the current state of AI, its existing and potential applications, and the questions that progress in AI raise for society and public policy. The report also makes recommendations for specific further actions. A companion National Artificial Intelligence Research and Development Strategic Plan <https://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/whitehouse_files/microsites/…> is also being released, laying out a strategic plan for Federally-funded research and development in AI. Preparing for the Future of Artificial Intelligence details several policy opportunities raised by AI, including how the technology can be used to advance social good and improve government operations; how to adapt regulations that affect AI technologies, such as automated vehicles, in a way that encourages innovation while protecting the public; how to ensure that AI applications are fair, safe, and governable; and how to develop a skilled and diverse AI workforce. The publication of this report follows a series of public-outreach activities spearheaded by the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) in 2016, which included five co-hosted public workshops <https://medium.com/@USCTO/458b82059fc3> held across the country, as well as a Request for Information (RFI) <https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2016/06/27/2016-15082/request-for…> in June 2016 that received 161 responses <https://medium.com/@USCTO/458b82059fc3>. These activities helped inform the focus areas and recommendations included in the report. Advances in AI technology hold incredible potential to help America stay on the cutting edge of innovation. Already, AI technologies have opened up new markets and new opportunities for progress in critical areas such as health, education, energy, and the environment. In recent years, machines have surpassed humans in the performance of certain specific tasks, such as some aspects of image recognition. Although it is very unlikely that machines will exhibit broadly-applicable intelligence comparable to or exceeding that of humans in the next 20 years, experts forecast that rapid progress in the field of specialized AI will continue, with machines reaching and exceeding human performance on an increasing number of tasks. One of the most important issues raised by AI is its impact on jobs and the economy. The report recommends that the White House convene a study on automation and the economy, resulting in a follow-on public report that will be released by the end of this year. In the coming years, AI will continue contributing to economic growth and will be a valuable tool for improving the world in fields as diverse as health care, transportation, the environment, criminal justice, and economic inclusion. The Administration believes that it is critical that industry, civil society, and government work together to develop the positive aspects of the technology, manage its risks and challenges, and ensure that everyone has the opportunity to help in building an AI-enhanced society and to participate in its benefits. To read the Future of AI report, click here <https://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/whitehouse_files/microsites/…>. And tune-in for the White House Frontiers Conference on October 13 for more on the #FutureofAI, including discussions with leading experts on harnessing the potential of AI, including data science, machine learning, automation, and robotics to engage and benefit all Americans. Watch the conference live and learn more at: http://www.frontiersconference.org <http://www.frontiersconference.org/>. /Ed Felten is a Deputy U.S Chief Technology Officer in the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy./ /Terah Lyons is a Policy Advisor to the U.S. Chief Technology Officer in White House Office of Science and Technology Policy./

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"AI needs a watchdog and UK gov’t must do better on robotics, MPs warn"
by J.C. DE MARTIN Oct. 12, 2016

Oct. 12, 2016

*AI needs a watchdog and UK gov’t must do better on robotics, MPs warn** * /Ethical, legal, and societal ramifications of AI systems must be probed, says committee.// / KELLY FIVEASH - 12/10/2016, 12:04 An artificial intelligence commission that probes the ethical, social, and legal implications of developments in AI should be established by the UK government, the science and technology committee has said. MPs—after taking evidence from a range of folk in the AI space and going on a field trip to Google's DeepMind machine learning lab in London—concluded in a report released on Wednesday morning that the government had been too slow to respond to both good and bad aspects of the tech, despite British universities and start-ups apparently making "significant progress in this field." […] Continua qui: http://arstechnica.co.uk/tech-policy/2016/10/artificial-intelligence-commis…

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International Panel on Social Progress
by J.C. DE MARTIN Oct. 12, 2016

Oct. 12, 2016

Carissimi, qui a Parigi dove mi trovo per circa un mese, il direttore del Collège d'études mondiales ha presentato da poco non solo l'International Panel on Social Progress, ma anche e soprattutto il loro rapporto, che ora è liberamente accessibile e commentabile online [1]: https://www.ipsp.org/ La versione definitiva verrà pubblicata in tre volumi da Cambridge University Press nel 2017. Molti capitoli si intersecano con temi digitali, ma quello più vicino ai temi di questa lista è forse il Capitolo 13, "Media and Communications", https://comment.ipsp.org/chapter/chapter-13-media-and-communications. Diffondete il messaggio, se vi va, mi sembra una iniziativa meritoria. un caro saluto, juan carlos [1] quasi tutto, mancano ancora 4 capitoli.

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Facebook/WahtsApp: Amburgo all'attacco
by Guido Noto La Diega Oct. 12, 2016

Oct. 12, 2016

"Negli ultimi mesi un’altra complessa questione relativa alla privacy ha coinvolto *Facebook*, ma questa volta il suo interlocutore è la *Germania*: l’autorità per la tutela della privacy con sede ad Amburgo ha imposto a Facebook di *bloccare e di cancellare* *qualunque dato abbia già ottenuto tramite WhatsApp* (si parla di ben circa *35 milioni di utenti* tedeschi)." Segue a http://www.technolawgies.com/facebook-whatsapp/ Guido Dr. Guido Noto La Diega <https://uk.linkedin.com/in/guido-noto-la-diega-ph-d-6696146> Northumbria University School of Law City Campus East, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 8ST noto.la.diega(a)gmail.com +44 (0) 191 227 5562 @guidonld You can access my papers on Academia.edu <https://northumbria.academia.edu/GuidoNotoLaDiega> and on the Social Science Research Network (SSRN) <http://ssrn.com/author=1794950> This e-mail and any attachment hereto are strictly confidential and are exclusively intended for the person above identified. Without intended recipient’s entitlement, use, copy and dissemination of this e-mail is prohibited. If you have received it in error, please advice us immediately by telephone and return the documents received to the above address, deleting the files. Thank you. Unless necessary, please do not print this e-mail.

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Want Artificial Intelligence? Lawyer Up
by Alessandro Mantelero Oct. 11, 2016

Oct. 11, 2016

A recent Stanford University report told us not to fear artificial intelligence. What it didn’t tell us was whether we should fear its legal implications. http://425business.com/want-artificial-intelligence-lawyer-up/ -- Prof. Avv. Alessandro Mantelero Politecnico di Torino Nexa Center for Internet and Society | Director of Privacy Politecnico di Torino–Tongji University| Coordinator, Double Degree program in Management and IP Law Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology | Part-time Expert, School of Public Administration European Data Protection Law Review | Associate Editor http://staff.polito.it/alessandro.mantelero EMAIL POLICY: once a day (Mon-Fri)

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Crash: how computers are setting us up for disaster
by Alberto Cammozzo Oct. 11, 2016

Oct. 11, 2016

Molto interessante. We increasingly let computers fly planes and carry out security checks. Driverless cars are next. But is our reliance on automation setting us up for disaster? [] The paradox of automation, then, has three strands to it. First, automatic systems accommodate incompetence by being easy to operate and by automatically correcting mistakes. Because of this, an inexpert operator can function for a long time before his lack of skill becomes apparent – his incompetence is a hidden weakness that can persist almost indefinitely. Second, even if operators are expert, automatic systems erode their skills by removing the need for practice. Third, automatic systems tend to fail either in unusual situations or in ways that produce unusual situations, requiring a particularly skilful response. A more capable and reliable automatic system makes the situation worse. <https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/oct/11/crash-how-computers-are-…> ciao, A

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Hillary Clinton vs. Donald Trump on broadband: She has a plan, he doesn’t | Ars Technica
by Luca Oct. 10, 2016

Oct. 10, 2016

Segnalo in lista, nel caso non fosse già passato, l’articolo sul prossimo presidente americano dal punto di vista della rete > http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2016/10/hillary-clinton-vs-donald-trump-… <http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2016/10/hillary-clinton-vs-donald-trump-…> > > Hillary Clinton vs. Donald Trump on broadband: She has a plan, he doesn’t > > > Enlarge <https://cdn.arstechnica.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/broadband-trump-clin…> > SAUL LOEB & ROBYN BECK AFP/Getty Images / Aurich > > The 2016 presidential election is likely to have a major impact on how the US government tries to expand broadband deployment and how it regulates Internet service providers. But while we have a pretty good idea of how a President Hillary Clinton would approach the broadband industry, there’s very little to go on when predicting broadband policy under a President Donald Trump. > > Clinton’s technology plan <https://www.hillaryclinton.com/briefing/factsheets/2016/06/27/hillary-clint…> includes several initiatives designed to “deliver high-speed broadband to all Americans <http://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2016/01/on-american-indian-re…>,” and it promises to defend network neutrality rules that prevent ISPs from discriminating against online services. There are questions about how Clinton would implement the plan and whether it's aggressive enough to achieve 100 percent broadband deployment, and her campaign has declined to provide more specifics. But the mere fact that Clinton has outlined some clear broadband goals sets the Democratic nominee apart from the other candidates. > > Republican nominee Donald Trump doesn’t seem to have any plan for increasing access to broadband, and there are indications that he would not support new consumer protection regulations. He weighed in on net neutrality, but only in a November 2014 tweet <https://twitter.com/realdonaldtrump/status/532608358508167168?lang=en>: > > Obama’s attack on the internet is another top down power grab. Net neutrality is the Fairness Doctrine. Will target conservative media. > > — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) 7:58 PM - 12 Nov 2014 <https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/532608358508167168> > The Information Technology & Innovation Foundation (ITIF), a public policy think tank, recently analyzed Clinton’s and Trump’s positions on technology <http://www2.itif.org/2016-clinton-vs-trump.pdf?_ga=1.14177138.455851410.147…>. There were six broadband and telecommunications policy categories, and for five of them Trump was listed as having “no position” or having made no comment. Trump had no position on wireless spectrum and 5G; a Communications Act update; broadband and telecom subsidies; broadband adoption and digital literacy; and broadband competition and public-private partnerships. > > Net neutrality was the one category where Trump had a position, but only because of the two-year-old tweet. > > Besides "that one tweet from 2014 on net neutrality, it's pretty much radio silence from the Trump camp," ITIF telecommunications policy analyst Doug Brake told Ars. > > Trump has finally just hired an aide to help him develop a telecom plan, Politico reported Friday <http://www.politico.com/story/2016/10/trump-transition-team-jeffrey-eisenac…>. The aide, Jeffrey Eisenach of the American Enterprise Institute, is described by Politico as "a crusader against regulation" and is a staunch opponent of net neutrality rules <https://www.judiciary.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/09-17-14EisenachTestimony.pdf>. Eisenach's appointment suggests Trump might pursue a deregulatory telecommunications agenda, but the candidate still isn't talking publicly about specific policies. > > > Brake didn’t endorse either candidate, but he said that when it comes to broadband, “Clinton at least has a plan. You can quibble with some of the details in it, but she has clearly thought hard about what the government’s role should be in promoting innovation and has policies that will work to promote innovation throughout the economy.” The ITIF describes itself as nonpartisan, but the group prefers a more conservative approach to telecommunications policy than the one chartered under President Obama and current FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler. > > Libertarian Party nominee Gary Johnson has opposed <http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2011/07/hands-off-the-internet-an-interv…> net neutrality rules and Internet regulation in general, while Green Party nominee Jill Stein supports net neutrality rules. Stein has called for universal broadband access—but she also claimed that wireless Internet signals can damage children’s brains despite a lack <http://www.who.int/peh-emf/publications/facts/fs304/en/> of scientific <https://www3.epa.gov/radtown/wireless-technology.html> evidence <https://www.fcc.gov/consumers/guides/wireless-devices-and-health-concerns> to support <http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24162060> such concerns <http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/ewh-semt/radiation/cons/wifi/faq-eng.php>. > > None of the four candidates has responded to our repeated requests for more details. So with the clock ticking toward November 8, we’ll have to settle for examining their public statements. > > The Clinton broadband plan > > Clinton’s tech agenda <https://www.hillaryclinton.com/briefing/factsheets/2016/06/27/hillary-clint…> describes the nation’s broadband problems as follows: “Millions of American households, particularly in rural areas, still lack access to any fixed broadband provider, around 30 percent of households across America have not adopted broadband (with much higher levels in low-income communities), and American consumers pay more for high-speed plans than consumers in some other advanced nations.” > > <https://cdn.arstechnica.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/hillary-clinton.jpg> > Enlarge <https://cdn.arstechnica.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/hillary-clinton.jpg> / Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton. > Clinton campaign > > Clinton cited research <https://www.fcc.gov/reports-research/reports/broadband-progress-reports/201…> from the FCC, which defines broadband as Internet access with speeds of at least 25Mbps downstream and 3Mbps upstream, but she is flexible on what speeds the nation should strive for. By 2020, she wants 100 percent of American households to have the option of buying affordable broadband at “speeds sufficient to meet families’ needs.” > > This wouldn’t necessarily involve stringing fiber wires to every home. Clinton wants federal agencies to consider fiber, fixed wireless, and satellite technologies for bringing broadband to unserved areas. Here are some of her proposals: > > Continue investments in the Connect America Fund, the Rural Utilities Service program, the Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP), and Lifeline. > Use Lifeline to help people learn how to use the Internet and expand access to cheap devices. > Create a competitive grant program encouraging local governments to reduce regulatory barriers to private investment; promote “dig once” programs that install fiber or fiber conduit during road construction projects; and develop public-private partnerships. > Expand federal funding to bring free Wi-Fi and high-speed Internet to “recreation centers, public buildings like one-stop career centers, and transportation infrastructure such as train stations, airports, and mass transit systems.” > Accelerate 5G cellular deployment and other wireless advances by reallocating and repurposing spectrum, and use federal research funding for “Internet of Things” test beds and field trials. > Encourage state and local governments to relax rules that protect incumbents from new competitors, such as “local rules governing utility-pole access that restrain additional fiber and small cell broadband deployment.” > Push federal agencies to identify anticompetitive practices “such as tying arrangements, price fixing, and exclusionary conduct,” and refer potential violations of antitrust law to the Department of Justice and Federal Trade Commission. (This proposal isn’t specific to broadband but could have an impact on ISPs.) > Separately, Clinton pledged to defend the FCC’s net neutrality rules in court and continue to enforce them. She also supports the FCC's related decision under Wheeler <http://arstechnica.com/business/2016/03/how-a-former-lobbyist-became-the-br…> to reclassify ISPs as common carriers under Title II of the Communications Act; Title II, while controversial, is the legal mechanism used to enforce the net neutrality rules. > > Clinton’s plan leaves out some of the specifics that will be needed to achieve her goals, and the plan proactively takes credit for 5G development that is likely to happen regardless of who wins the presidency. But that doesn’t seem to bother Harold Feld <https://www.publicknowledge.org/about-us/staff/>, senior VP of Public Knowledge, a consumer advocacy group that generally supports Wheeler’s broadband deployment and net neutrality policies. > > “This is not the blueprint, this is the promise,” Feld said. “Once they get in, they're still going to have to do the blueprint, and that's when we'll see if they'll swing for the bleachers or just try to play safe.” > > As a campaign platform, what Clinton has proposed is “very good,” he said. 100 percent deployment probably won’t happen, but setting the goal at 100 percent makes it more likely that she’ll get to 95 percent or so, Feld said. > > “The thing that worries me is this is a very incremental approach,” Feld said of Clinton’s plan. “It builds on what's out there now, it generally solidifies around basic points of agreement.” For example, Clinton hasn’t talked about whether the FCC should crack down on Internet data caps, but “those are not the kinds of things you put in a campaign platform,” Feld said. > > A Clinton FCC seems likely to continue on a path similar to the one taken by Obama and Wheeler. Yet she is getting support from the same telecom industry that bitterly opposed Wheeler’s net neutrality plan and many of his other initiatives. Telecom services and equipment companies donated $640,247 to Clinton this year, while giving just $19,319 to Trump, according to the Center for Responsive Politics <http://www.opensecrets.org/industries/recips.php?ind=B09&cycle=2016&recipde…>. > > Clinton also won an endorsement from Jim Cicconi, a longtime GOP supporter and Senior Executive VP at AT&T—a company that sued the FCC to stop the net neutrality rules. > > “This year I think it’s vital to put our country’s well being ahead of party,” Cicconi said, according to The Wall Street Journal <http://www.wsj.com/articles/some-gop-business-leaders-are-backing-clinton-1…>. “Hillary Clinton is experienced, qualified, and will make a fine president. The alternative, I fear, would set our nation on a very dark path.” > > Brake said he is hopeful that Clinton would take a more “pragmatic” approach than Wheeler. Though Clinton supported Wheeler’s Title II net neutrality plan, Brake pointed to an interview <http://www.recode.net/2015/2/24/11559360/hillary-rodham-clinton-talks-nsa-p…> Clinton gave last year in which she said net neutrality rules could alternatively have been imposed through an update of the Communications Act. > > That statement “indicates to me that she gets that Title II isn't something to be desired in and of itself,” Brake said. It’s thus probably unlikely that a Clinton FCC would be more liberal than an Obama one, making things like network unbundling <http://arstechnica.com/business/2016/03/why-tom-wheeler-rejected-broadband-…> a long shot, Brake said. > -- Luca

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NY To Test Facial Recognition Cameras At ‘Crossing Points’
by Alberto Cammozzo Oct. 10, 2016

Oct. 10, 2016

New York will soon test facial recognition technology around Manhattan. In a 35-minute speech detailing a landmark $100 billion investment into state infrastructure, largely focused on New York City and Long Island, Governor Andrew Cuomo made a number of promises that would thrill New Yorkers, like the promise of a renovated Penn Station, called Penn-Farley, a direct train from there to LaGuardia Airport, and the completion of the long-awaited Second Avenue Line. Oh, and facial recognition cameras around the city, he said: “At each crossing, and at structurally sensitive points on bridges and tunnels, advanced cameras and sensors will be installed to read license plates and test emerging facial recognition software and equipment.” [...] <http://www.vocativ.com/365430/ny-facial-recognition-cameras-bridges-tunnels/> ciao, A

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