[P2P-F] Fwd: Blade Runner-style Robot Detection Needed

Michel Bauwens michelsub2004 at gmail.com
Sun Aug 27 15:24:57 CEST 2017


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From: <dailydigest at piqd.com>
Date: Tue, Aug 22, 2017 at 7:00 AM
Subject: Blade Runner-style Robot Detection Needed
To: Michel Bauwens <michelsub2004 at gmail.com>


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Blade Runner-style Robot Detection Needed
<https://www.piqd.com/tracking/technology-politics/blade-runner-style-robot-detection-needed?cid=627eed218b467b80645dd5ce5b66b877&ref=dailydigest&source=DailyDigestEmail&utm_campaign=viewpiq&utm_content=2017-08-22&utm_medium=email&utm_source=dailydigest>

If you have ever tried to create an online account, you have probably
encountered a CAPTCHA prompt asking you to decipher a hard-to-read text, to
puzzle over small images or to click on a checkbox. Standing for *"Completely
Automated Public Turing test to tell Computers and Humans Apar*t," the test
aims to distinguish real people from robots wanting to spam and abuse the
website. As annoying as it may be, there are valid reasons for this
security feature. In fact, according to Tim Wu, a professor at Columbia Law
School, we should step up our game as far as robot detection is concerned.

In a short but informative opinion piece, the author of *"The Attention
Merchants: The Epic Struggle to Get Inside Our Heads*" describes how “*robots
are getting better, every day, at impersonating humans*,” from carrying out
online ticket-buying and writing automated product reviews, to spreading
propaganda and swaying votes. As the robots affect more and more areas of
life, Wu calls for the introduction of “Blade Runner” law – a measure that
would make it illegal for a robot to pose as a human.

“Today’s impersonation-bots are different from the robots imagined in
science fiction: They aren’t sentient, don’t carry weapons and don’t have
physical bodies. Instead, fake humans just have whatever is necessary to
make them seem human enough to 'pass',” writes Wu.

However absurd “Blade Runner” law may appear at first sight, Wu brings up a
couple of important points to consider. First, he accurately calls out
industry’s lack of incentive (and so far action for that matter) to tackle
the issue, thus dismissing the possibility of relying solely on
self-regulation. Second, he might be right that the mixed approach
employing both technological and legal tools would be necessary to
successfully deter impersonation bots. But most importantly, Wu calls a
spade a spade and acknowledges the relevance and severity of the issue –
bots posing as humans seriously threaten our democracy.

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Source: Tim Wu | nytimes.com on 07/20/2017 | Image: Brandon Blommaert |
Language: EN

Opinion | Please Prove You're Not a Robot

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