Philosophical Disquisitions

This is the eighth episode in the Algocracy and Transhumanism podcast. In this episode, I talk to Karen Levy about the topic of intimate surveillance. Karen is an assistant professor in the Department of Information Science at Cornell University, and associate member of the faculty of Cornell Law School. Tracking and surveillance are now ubiquitous. We track the number of steps we take per day, the number of calories we consume, the number of likes we get on our facebook posts and much more. Governments and corporations also track information about what we like, what we buy and what we do. What happens when we use the same technology to track and surveil aspects of our intimate relationships? That's what we discuss in this podcast. You can listen below or download at the following link. You can also subscribe on Stitcher and iTunes (via RSS feed - just click 'add to iTunes'). Show Notes0:00 - 1:40 - Introduction1:40 - 4:58 - What is intimate surveillance?4:58 - 6:50 - Intimate surveillance in the lifecycle of a relationship6:50 - 8:15 - What's new about intimate surveillance? Haven't we always been doing it?8:15 - 24:44 - What kinds of apps are out there that facilitate intimate surveillance? (Apps for finding, connecting and committing)24:44 - 26:30 - What's good about intimate surveillance?26:30 - 29:30 - Do intimate surveillance apps get us to focus on the wrong thing?29:30 - 34:10 - Gender bias and gender stereotypes34:10 - 38:50 - Consent apps and the problem of technological solutionism38:50 - 46:15 - Do these apps encourage an exchange-based approach to intimate relationships? Is this a bad thing?46:15 - 51:15 - Potential privacy harms in intimate surveillance51:15 - End - Big data and the ethics of technological experimentation  Relevant LinksKaren's homepageKaren's profile at Cornell UniversityKaren Levy 'Intimate Surveillance' (2015) Idaho Law ReviewKaren Levy 'The Contexts of Control: Information, Power, and Truck-Driving Work' (2015) The Information Society: An International JournalKaren Levy 'The Future of Work: What isn't counted counts' Pacific StandardJohn Danaher 'The Ethics of Intimate Surveillance (1)'John Danaher 'The Ethics of Intimate Surveillance (2)'John Danaher 'Sexual Assault, Consent Apps and Technological Solutionism'Kouply - an app that gamifies relationshipsSpreadsheets - sex tracker appGlow - fertility tracking appFlexispy - fidelity surveillance appInterview with Deborah Lupton about the Quantified SelfInterview with Evan Selinger about Algorithmic Outsourcing and Privacy   

This is the 7th episode of the Algocracy and Transhumanism Podcast. In this episode I talk to Brett Frischmann about his work on human-focused Turing Tests. Brett is a Professor of Law at Cardozo Law School in New York City. He writes a lot about technology and law, and is currently in the midst of co-authoring a book with Evan Selinger (my guest in Episode 4) entitled Being Human in the 21st Century (Cambridge University Press 2017). We have a long and wide-ranging conversation about what it means to be a machine; what it means to be a human; and how the current techno-social environment is changing who we are. You can listen to the episode below or download it at this link. You can also subscribe on Stitcher and iTunes (via RSS Feed). Show Notes 0:00 - 2:24 - Introduction to Brett and his work2:24- 15:20 - Classic Turing Tests and their value15:20 - 23:27 - Approaching the Turing Line from the other side (or the concept of a 'Reverse Turing Test')23:27 - 32:40 - How environments can make machines more human-like and humans more machine-like32:40 - 37:20 - Criteria for a Reverse Turing Test37:20 - 44:15 - A simple example of a Reverse Turing Test based on mathematical ability44:15 - 54:20 - Common sense as the basis for a Reverse Turing Test54:20 - 1:08:10 - Is technology eroding our common sense?1:08:10 - 1:13:00 - Rationality as the basis for a Reverse Turing Test1:13:00 - 1:26:03 - The philosophy of nudging and the creation of machine-like humans1:26:03 - End - Surveillance creep and the surveillance machine  Relevant LinksBrett's Academic HomepageBrett's paper "Human Focused Turing Tests: A Framework for Judging Nudging and the Techno-Social Engineering of Human Beings"My interview with Evan Selinger (Brett's co-author)"Reverse Turing Tests: Are humans becoming more machine-like?" - short post explaining the ideaAlan Turing - 'On Computing Machinery and Intelligence'The Loebner PrizeJohn Danaher - 'The Ethics of Algorithmic Outsourcing: An Analysis'Thaler and Sunstein - Nudge

This is the sixth episode in the Algocracy and Transhumanism podcast. In this episode, I talk to Deborah Lupton about her book The Quantified Self (Polity Press 2016). Deborah is a Centenary Research Professor at the University of Canberra in Australia. She is a widely-published scholar. Her current research focuses on a variety of topics having to do with digital sociology and the impact of technology on human life. Our conversation is divided into three main topics: (i) what is the quantified self? (ii) how is the 'self' affected by self-tracking technologies? and (iii) what are the political and social consequences of self-tracking? You can listen to the episode below. You can download the mp3 here. You can also subscribe via Stitcher and iTunes (RSS feed). Show Notes0:00 - 0:30 - Introductiono:30 - 8:05 - What is the quantified? Is 'self-tracking' a better term?8:05 - 11:30 - Are we all self-trackers?11:30 - 14:25 - What kinds of data are being tracked?14:25 - 16:20 - Who is attracted to the quantified self movement?16:20 - 21:20 - What is the link between self-tracking and gamification?21:20 - 26:10 - Does self-tracking help to promote autonomy and self-control?26:10 - 28:30 - Does self-tracking contribute to a culture of narcissism?32:00 - 43:13 - The metaphysics of the self in the QS movement: reductionism, dualism and cyborgification43:13 - 46:40 - Do the benefits of self-tracking help to normalise mass surveillance?51:00 - 54:00 - The Quantified Self and the Neoliberal State54:00 - 57:30 - Self-tracking and the Risk Society57:30 - End - The involuntary imposition of self-tracking  LinksDeborah's blog This Sociological LifeDeborah's book The Quantified SelfDeborah's twitter, academia.edu, ssrn and researchgate profilesDeborah's homepage at Canberra UniversityDeborah Lupton 'Self-Tracking Modes: Reflexive Self-Monitoring and Data Practices'Deborah Lupton 'You are your Data: Self-Tracking Practice and Concepts of Data'Deborah Lupton 'The Digital Cyborg Assemblage: Haraway's Cyborg Theory and the New Digital Health Technologies'John Danaher 'Does self-tracking promote autonomy? An Initial Argument'Strava - self-tracking app for athletesThe Unquantified Self - blogCitizen Science Citizen sensing

This is the second episode in the Algocracy and Transhumanism project podcast. In this episode I interview Dr. James Hughes, executive director of the Institute for Ethics and Emerging Technologies and current Associate Provost for Institutional Research, Assessment and Planning for the University of Massachusetts Boston. James is leading figure in both transhumanist thought and political activism. He is the author of Citizen Cyborg: Why Democratic Societies Must Respond to the Redesigned Human of the Future. I spoke to James about the origins of the transhumanist project, the political values currently motivating transhumanist activists, as well as some more esoteric and philosophical ideas associated with transhumanism. You can download the podcast here. You can listen below. You can also subscribe on Stitcher and iTunes. Show Notes0:00 - 1:00 - Introduction to James  1:00 - 11:00 - The History of Transhumanist Thought (Religious and Mythical Origins) 11:00 - 17:00 - Transhumanism and the Enlightenment Project  17:00 - 25:30 - Transhumanism and Disability Rights Movement  25:30 - 34:30 - The Political Values for Hiveminds and Cyborgs  34:30 - 41:00 - The Dark Side of Transhumanist Politics  41:00 - 43:00 - Technological Unemployment and Technoprogressivism  43:00 - 51:00 - Building Better Citizens through Human Enhancement  51:00 - 1:01:55 - The Threat of Algocracy?  1:01:55 - 1:07:55 - Internal and External Moral Enhancement   LinksThe Institute for Ethics and Emerging TechnologiesCitizen Cyborg by James Hughes'A History of Transhumanist Thought' by Nick BostromThe Cyborg Buddha Project - by James Hughes'A Strategic Opening for a Basic Income Guarantee' by James Hughes'Valuing Disability, Causing Disability' - by Elizabeth Barnes'Disability and Mere Difference' - by Julian Savulescu and Guy Kahane'Are we heading for a Borg-like Society?' - John Danaher'We are Borg! Human Assimilation in the Cellular Society' - by Ronnie Lipschutz and Rebecca HesterThe Transhumanist Wager by Zoltan Istvan'Betting Against the Transhumanist Wager' by Rick SearleDebate between James Hughes and Zoltan Istvan at the Harvard Kennedy School'Opposing leaders of the Transhumanist Movement Got Salty in a Debate' by Alex PearlmanJames's series of posts on 'Enhancing Virtues' (recommended)'The Threat of Algocracy: Reality, Resistance and Accommodation' by John Danaher'Outsourcing your Mind and Intelligence to Computer/Phone Apps' by Evan Selinger     

This is the third episode in the Algocracy and Transhumanism project podcast. In this episode I talk to Sven Nyholm who is an Assistant Professor of Philosophy at the Eindhoven University of Technology. Sven has a background in Kantian philosophy and currently does a lot of work on the ethics of technology. We have a wide ranging conversation, circling around three main themes: (i) how technology changes what we value (using the specific example of love enhancement technologies); (ii) how technology might affect the true self (using the example of deep brain stimulation technologies) and (iii) how to design ethical decision-making algorithms (using the example of self-driving cars). The work discussed in this podcast on deep brain stimulation and the design of ethical algorithms is being undertaken by Sven in collaboration with two co-authors: Elizabeth O'Neill (in the case of DBS) and Jilles Smids (in the case of self-driving cars). Unfortunately we neglected to mention this during our conversation. I have provided links to their work above and below. Anyway, you can download the podcast here, listen below or subscribe on Stitcher or iTunes.   Show Notes 0:00 - 1:30 - Introduction to Sven 1:30 - 7:30 - The idea of love enhancement 7:30 - 10:30 - Objections to love enhancement 10:30 - 12:30 - The medicalisation objection to love enhancement 12:30 - 21:10 - Medicalisation as an evaluative category mistake 21:10 - 24:00 - Can you favour love enhancement and still value love in the right way? 24:00 - 28:10 - Evaluative category mistakes in other debates about technology 28:10 - 30:50 - The use of deep brain stimulation (DBS) technology 30:50 - 35:20 - Reported effects of DBS on personal identity 35:20 - 41:20 - Narrative Identity vs True Self in debates about DBS 41:20 - 46:25 - Is the true self an expression of values? Can DBS help in its expression? 46:25 - 50:30 - Use of DBS to treat patients with Anorexia Nervosa 50:30 - 55:20 - Ethical algorithms in the design of self-driving cars 55:20 - 1:02:40 - Is the trolley problem a useful starting point? 1:02:40 - 1:06:30 - The importance of legal and moral responsibility in the design of ethical algorithms 1:06:30 - 1:09:00 - The important of uncertainty and risk in the design of ethical algorithms 1:09:00 - end - Should moral uncertainty be factored into the design?   LinksSven's Staff Profile PageSven's Philpapers Profile'The Medicalization of Love and Narrow and Broad Conceptions of Well Being' by Sven Nyholm'The Medicalization of Love' by Earp, Savulescu and Sandberg'The Medicalization of Love: Response to Critics' by Earp, Savulescu and SandbergElizabeth O'Neill's homepage (Sven's co-author on DBS and the true self)Parkinson's patient using DBS device: On-Off Demo (Youtube)'Deep Brain Stimulation, Continuity Over Time and the True Self' by Nyholm and O'Neill'The Ethics of Deep Brain Stimulation for the Treatment of Anorexia Nervosa' by Maslen, Pugh and SavulescuJilles Smids (Sven's Co-author on ethical algorithms for self-driving cars)'Driverless cars are colliding with the creep trolley problem' by Joel Achenbach, Washington Post'Why self-driving cars must be programmed to kill' MIT Technology Review

This is the fifth episode in the Algocracy and Transhumanism Podcast. In this episode I speak to Hannah Maslen. Hannah is a research fellow at the Uehiro Centre for Practical Ethics in Oxford and is affiliated with the Oxford Martin School. Her research focuses on ethical issues in general, but she has a particular interest in the ethics of neurointerventions and the philosophy of punishment. In this episode, we talk primarily about her work on neurointerventions. We start by explaining what a neurointervention is and then look at three main issues: (i) how neurointerventions could be used to treat certain psychiatric disorders (specifically anorexia nervosa) and how that might impact on autonomy; (ii) how we might be able to enhance responsibility through neurointerventions like modafinil and (iii) the role of remorse in the criminal justice system and how we might be able to encourage people to feel remorse through neurointerventions. You can listen to the podcast below. You can download the mp3 at this link. You can also subscribe on Stitcher and iTunes (via the RSS feed). Show Notes: 0:00 - 0:30 - Introduction to Hannah0:30 - 7:05 - What is a neurointervention?7:05 - 11:40 - Do neurointerventions bypass our rational capacities? Do they treat us passively rather than actively?11:40 - 17:45 - Using Deep Brain Stimulation to affect the motivation, control and affective responses of patients with anorexia nervosa.17:45 - 23:30 - Can we alter someone's desires with DBS? The importance of the wanting/liking distinction23:30 - 27:50 - How might the use of DBS affect someone's autonomy?27:50 - 31:25 - Neurointerventions and value pluralism31:25 - 34:50 - Could we enhance responsibility through the use of neurointerventions?34:50 - 38:00 - Should some people be under a moral/legal duty to enhance (e.g. doctors and pilots)?38:00 - 41:20 - Would responsibility-enhancement lead us to ignore systemic causes of disadvantage?41:20 - 43:10 - Won't robots be doing all the responsible work anyway?43:10 - 52:15 - What is remorse and what role does it play in the criminal justice system?52:15 - 59:50 - Could we use neurointerventions to enhance remorse?59:50 - End - Would enhanced remorse be less valuable? Relevant LinksHannah's webpageLecture by Maslen and Cohen-Kadosh on 'Mind Machines: The promise and problems of cognitive enhancement devices'Maslen, Pugh and Savulescu, 'The Ethics of Deep Brain Stimulation for the Treatment of Anorexia Nervosa'  Goold and Maslen, 'Responsibility Enhancement and the Law of Negligence' Maslen, Santoni de Sio, and Faber 'With cognitive enhancement comes great responsibility?'Danaher 'Human Enhancement, Social Solidarity and the Distribution of Responsibility'Maslen Remorse, Penal Theory and SentencingPugh and Maslen, 'Drugs that make you feel bad? Remorse-based mitigation and neurointerventions'