[alicebot-aiethics] How should we respond to this?

[Noel Bush]

As far as I understand privacy policies, which is not really that deeply,
they are mostly meant to declare the site owner's intentions with the data
collected. Content policies are also shaping up, to try to formally apply
some kind of audience-appropriateness to the content of a site. But I don't
think that bots can be likened to web sites in any way. Bots are like people
that you meet on the street. People don't walk around with content policies
hanging around their necks. Nonetheless, a very nice and well-intentioned
person might meet another, and say or do something that's inadvertently
harmful. Sometimes that means the first person gets censured, or even locked
up. I think the same thing might happen with bots: how can you avoid it?
Bots in this sense will be subject to the same laws as all of us. In trying
to assign blame in the situation, you'd have to separate the creator's
intentions from the bot. You don't punish the parents of a grown person for
that person's behavior. So you oughtn't punish a bot's creator. But you
might require that the bot go offline, or undergo psychological testing. Why
not? :-)

> -----Original Message-----
> From: alicebot-aiethics-admin@list.alicebot.org
> [mailto:alicebot-aiethics-admin@list.alicebot.org]On Behalf Of
> Robby Garner
> Sent: Monday, 6 August 2001 12:59
> To: alicebot-aiethics@list.alicebot.org
> Subject: Re: [alicebot-aiethics] How should we respond to this?
>
>
> Absolutely!  You can not possibly control what other people are doing with
> ALICE, or how they monitor their chat logs.  You might put a disclaimer on
> your flagship bot, perhaps call it "privacy statement" as seen on many
> corporate sites now.  But you could explain to the man that even
> though the
> chat is logged, there is a certain amount of privacy involved.
>
> I would imagine that this man is concerened about privacy issues, as many
> parents might be if their children visit "human" chat rooms.  But ALICE
> doesn't prey on little children, it merely wants to learn to speak well.
>
> Robby.
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "LilBwana" <lilbwana@unwiredglobe.net>
> To: <alicebot-aiethics@list.alicebot.org>
> Sent: Monday, August 06, 2001 1:46 AM
> Subject: Re: [alicebot-aiethics] How should we respond to this?
>
>
> > First and foremost I wish to say Bravo.  It is wonderful to see a parent
> who
> > is curious as to what his child is doing.  It shows that there are still
> > good parents out there who care about their child's upbringing.
> > Secondly, how do we deal with a person who for all intensive purposes is
> > frankly afraid for their child, or for theirselves.  He
> expresses concern
> in
> > the email, which shows he is curious.  It is the curiosity that adds
> people
> > to this list.  I say encourage him to sit in on the chats his
> daughter has
> > with the bot, and further instruct him to never give out personal
> > information that he does not want someone else knowing.
> > As with many chat programs, the majority of conversations are
> logged.  It
> > does not matter whether the information is obtained by a bot,
> or a human,
> > the fact of the matter remains that the information is in no way used to
> > target him or his family.
> > Encourage him to look into the matter, if he refuses, then tell him to
> have
> > his daughter discontinue further conversations with the robot, or anyone
> > else for that matter.
> >
> > We are not in the business of causing trouble, so do not add to
> the spark
> by
> > telling him to just bugger off.  Take the path of least resistance, and
> > inform him that there is nothing you personally can do about
> the bot since
> > it is out there for all to talk to, and it may not even be
> associated with
> > you.
> >
> > If you had invented the firearm, it is not the fault of
> yourself if it is
> > used in a malicious way.
> >
> >
> >
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: "Richard Wallace" <rwallace@best.com>
> > To: <alicebot-aiethics@list.alicebot.org>
> > Sent: Sunday, August 05, 2001 9:59 PM
> > Subject: [alicebot-aiethics] How should we respond to this?
> >
> >
> > >
> > > ----- Original Message -----
> > > From: xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> > > To: dr.wallace@mindspring.com
> > > Sent: Sunday, August 05, 2001 6:53 PM
> > > Subject: (no subject)
> > >
> > >
> > > I am concerned that you are doing research without the proper consent
> from
> > > the participants.    My daughter has been talking to Alice
> and she was
> > not
> > > aware that you were using her answers as part of a research project. I
> am
> > > not
> > > sure if this is legal and if their are going to be  any
> problems I don't
> > > want
> > > my  daughter  having trouble. Please answer this email.
> > >
> > > _______________________________________________
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> > > alicebot-aiethics@list.alicebot.org
> > > http://list.alicebot.org/mailman/listinfo.cgi/alicebot-aiethics
> >
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>
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