scholarly journals The shallow of your smile: The ethics of expressive vocal deepfakes

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nadia Guerouaou ◽  
Guillaume Vaiva ◽  
Jean-Julien Aucouturier
Keyword(s):  
Science Fiction ◽  
Autonomous Vehicles ◽  
Public Awareness ◽  
Social Dilemma ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Technological Advances ◽  
Potential Applications ◽  
Experimental Ethics ◽  
Therapeutic Context ◽  
Vocal Expressions

Rapid technological advances in artificial intelligence are creating opportunities for real-time algorithmic modulations of a person’s facial and vocal expressions, or “deep- fakes”. These developments raises unprecedented societal and ethical questions which, despite much recent public awareness, are still poorly understood from the point of view of moral psychology. We report here on an experimental ethics study conducted on a sample of N=303 participants (predominantly young, western and educated), who evaluated the acceptability of vignettes describing potential applications of expressive voice transformation technology. We found that vocal deep-fakes were generally well accepted in the population, notably in a therapeutic context and for emotions judged otherwise difficult to control, and surprisingly, even if the user lies to their interlocutors about using them. Unlike other emerging technologies like autonomous vehicles, there was no evidence of social dilemma in which one would e.g. accept for others what they resent for themselves. The only real obstacle to the massive deployment of vocal deep-fakes appears to be situations where they are applied to a speaker without their knowing, but even the acceptability of such situations was modulated by individual differences in moral values and attitude towards science-fiction.

scholarly journals The shallow of your smile: The ethics of expressive vocal deepfakes

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
nadia guerouaou ◽  
Guillaume Vaiva ◽  
Jean-Julien Aucouturier
Keyword(s):  
Science Fiction ◽  
Moral Psychology ◽  
Autonomous Vehicles ◽  
Public Awareness ◽  
Social Dilemma ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Technological Advances ◽  
Potential Applications ◽  
Therapeutic Context ◽  
Vocal Expressions

Rapid technological advances in artificial intelligence are creating opportunities for real-time algorithmic modulations of a person’s facial and vocal expressions, or “deep- fakes”. These developments raises unprecedented societal and ethical questions which, despite much recent public awareness, are still poorly understood from the point of view of moral psychology. We report here on an empirical study conducted on N=303 online participants, who evaluated the acceptability of vignettes describing potential applications of expressive voice transformation technology. We found that vocal deep- fakes were generally well accepted in the population, notably in a therapeutic context and for emotions judged otherwise difficult to control, and surprisingly, even if the user lies to their interlocutors about using them. Unlike other emerging technologies like autonomous vehicles, there was no evidence of social dilemma in which one would e.g. accept for others what they resent for themselves. The only real obstacle to the massive deployment of vocal deep-fakes appears to be situations where they are applied to a speaker without their knowing, but even the acceptability of such situations was modulated by individual differences in moral values and attitude towards science- fiction.

scholarly journals The shallow of your smile: the ethics of expressive vocal deep-fakes

2021 ◽  
Vol 377 (1841) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nadia Guerouaou ◽  
Guillaume Vaiva ◽  
Jean-Julien Aucouturier
Keyword(s):  
Science Fiction ◽  
Autonomous Vehicles ◽  
Social Impact ◽  
Public Awareness ◽  
Social Dilemma ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Technological Advances ◽  
Potential Applications ◽  
Experimental Ethics ◽  
Voice Modulation

Rapid technological advances in artificial intelligence are creating opportunities for real-time algorithmic modulations of a person’s facial and vocal expressions, or ‘deep-fakes’. These developments raise unprecedented societal and ethical questions which, despite much recent public awareness, are still poorly understood from the point of view of moral psychology. We report here on an experimental ethics study conducted on a sample of N = 303 participants (predominantly young, western and educated), who evaluated the acceptability of vignettes describing potential applications of expressive voice transformation technology. We found that vocal deep-fakes were generally well accepted in the population, notably in a therapeutic context and for emotions judged otherwise difficult to control, and surprisingly, even if the user lies to their interlocutors about using them. Unlike other emerging technologies like autonomous vehicles, there was no evidence of social dilemma in which one would, for example, accept for others what they resent for themselves. The only real obstacle to the massive deployment of vocal deep-fakes appears to be situations where they are applied to a speaker without their knowing, but even the acceptability of such situations was modulated by individual differences in moral values and attitude towards science fiction. This article is part of the theme issue ‘Voice modulation: from origin and mechanism to social impact (Part II)’.

scholarly journals Ethical dilemmas are really important to potential adopters of autonomous vehicles

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tripat Gill
Keyword(s):  
Autonomous Vehicles ◽  
Ethical Issues ◽  
Social Dilemma ◽  
Innovation Adoption ◽  
Preliminary Evidence ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Early Adopters ◽  
The Social ◽  
Legal And Ethical Issues ◽  
Theoretical Standpoint

AbstractThe ethical dilemma (ED) of whether autonomous vehicles (AVs) should protect the passengers or pedestrians when harm is unavoidable has been widely researched and debated. Several behavioral scientists have sought public opinion on this issue, based on the premise that EDs are critical to resolve for AV adoption. However, many scholars and industry participants have downplayed the importance of these edge cases. Policy makers also advocate a focus on higher level ethical principles rather than on a specific solution to EDs. But conspicuously absent from this debate is the view of the consumers or potential adopters, who will be instrumental to the success of AVs. The current research investigated this issue both from a theoretical standpoint and through empirical research. The literature on innovation adoption and risk perception suggests that EDs will be heavily weighted by potential adopters of AVs. Two studies conducted with a broad sample of consumers verified this assertion. The results from these studies showed that people associated EDs with the highest risk and considered EDs as the most important issue to address as compared to the other technical, legal and ethical issues facing AVs. As such, EDs need to be addressed to ensure robustness in the design of AVs and to assure consumers of the safety of this promising technology. Some preliminary evidence is provided about interventions to resolve the social dilemma in EDs and about the ethical preferences of prospective early adopters of AVs.

scholarly journals Transporting Children in Autonomous Vehicles: An Exploratory Study

2019 ◽  
Vol 62 (2) ◽  
pp. 278-287 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patrice D. Tremoulet ◽  
Thomas Seacrist ◽  
Chelsea Ward McIntosh ◽  
Helen Loeb ◽  
Anna DiPietro ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Extracurricular Activities ◽  
Autonomous Vehicles ◽  
Driving Simulator ◽  
Autonomous Vehicle ◽  
Remote Access ◽  
Unaccompanied Children ◽  
Potential Applications ◽  
Minimum Age ◽  
Audio Communication ◽  
Vehicle Information

Objective Identify factors that impact parents’ decisions about allowing an unaccompanied child to ride in an autonomous vehicle (AV). Background AVs are being tested in several U.S. cities and on highways in multiple states. Meanwhile, suburban parents are using ridesharing services to shuttle children from school to extracurricular activities. Parents may soon be able to hire AVs to transport children. Method Nineteen parents of 8- to 16-year-old children, and some of their children, rode in a driving simulator in autonomous mode, then were interviewed. Parents also participated in focus groups. Topics included minimum age for solo child passengers, types of trips unaccompanied children might take, and vehicle features needed to support child passengers. Results Parents would require two-way audio communication and prefer video feeds of vehicle interiors, seatbelt checks, automatic locking, secure passenger identification, and remote access to vehicle information. Parents cited convenience as the greatest benefit and fear that AVs could not protect passengers during unplanned trip interruptions as their greatest concern. Conclusion Manufacturers have an opportunity to design family-friendly AVs from the outset, rather than retrofit them to be safe for child passengers. More research, especially usability studies where families interact with technology prototypes, is needed to understand how AV design impacts child passengers. Application Potential applications of this research include not only designing vehicles that can be used to safely transport children, seniors who no longer drive, and individuals with disabilities but also developing regulations, policies, and societal infrastructure to support safe child transport via AVs.

Deep learning based Blockchain solution for preserving privacy in future vehicles

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-14
Author(s):  
Varsha R ◽  
Meghna Manoj Nair ◽  
Siddharth M. Nair ◽  
Amit Kumar Tyagi
Keyword(s):  
Deep Learning ◽  
Autonomous Vehicles ◽  
Recommendation System ◽  
Privacy Preserving ◽  
Smart Devices ◽  
The Road ◽  
Blockchain Technology ◽  
Technological Advances ◽  
Previous Decade ◽  
Smart Things

The Internet of Things (smart things) is used in many sectors and applications due to recent technological advances. One of such application is in the transportation system, which is of primary use for the users to move from one place to another place. The smart devices which were embedded in vehicles are useful for the passengers to solve his/her query, wherein future vehicles will be fully automated to the advanced stage, i.e. future cars with driverless feature. These autonomous cars will help people a lot to reduce their time and increases their productivity in their respective (associated) business. In today’s generation and in the near future, privacy preserving and trust will be a major concern among users and autonomous vehicles and hence, this paper will be able to provide clarity for the same. Many attempts in previous decade have provided many efficient mechanisms, but they all work only with vehicles along with a driver. However, these mechanisms are not valid and useful for future vehicles. In this paper, we will use deep learning techniques for building trust using recommender systems and Blockchain technology for privacy preserving. We also maintain a certain level of trust via maintaining the highest level of privacy among users living in a particular environment. In this research, we developed a framework that could offer maximum trust or reliable communication to users over the road network. With this, we also preserve privacy of users during traveling, i.e., without revealing identity of respective users from Trusted Third Parties or even Location Based Service in reaching a destination. Thus, Deep Learning based Blockchain Solution (DLBS) is illustrated for providing an efficient recommendation system.

Until Death Do Us Part and They Upload Us Into Clones: An Analysis of Film Narratives About Mind Uploading and the Myth of Immortality

2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 529-548
Author(s):  
Anja Zlatović ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Science Fiction ◽  
Social Life ◽  
Modern Society ◽  
Eternal Life ◽  
Fear Of Death ◽  
Brain Functions ◽  
Technological Advances ◽  
Visual Science ◽  
The Mind ◽  
Tv Show

The fear of death and the myth of immortality are themes long present in various narratives, whether literary or visual. Science fiction as a genre offers us many venues for new explorations of this idea. Mind uploading is one of them. This fictional technique, related to cloning, is performed when the mind and consciousness of a person are transferred to another biological body or machine with the help of technology. In this way, a person continues their social life through their brain functions. This paper looks at four separate recent screen narratives – the movies Self/less, Transcendence, and Replicas, and the episode “Be Right Back” of the TV show Black Mirror. With the help of Tzvetan Todorov’s structural analysis, we find clauses that are present in all of the plots and see what ideas and topics they share. The paper also uses the idea of anthropological reading of science fiction and therefore uses scientific research to analyze these themes. By looking at anthropological findings of immortality, mortality, death in modern society, and digital techniques, we see how the analyzed narratives portray a unique mixture of fear of and longing for all the mentioned processes and ideas. Finally, this paper shows how science fiction could possibly reflect reality – both through presenting thoughts of society and inspiring future technological advances and ideas (in this case, the quest for immortality). While humans are still far from achieving eternal life, the mentioned screen narratives portray the growing stream of ideas that deal with mind uploading in the age of the internet and social media.

scholarly journals The Potential Implications of Autonomous Vehicles in and around the Workplace

2018 ◽  
Vol 15 (9) ◽  
pp. 1876 ◽  
Author(s):  
Simone Pettigrew ◽  
Lin Fritschi ◽  
Richard Norman
Keyword(s):  
Labour Market ◽  
National Survey ◽  
Autonomous Vehicles ◽  
Public Awareness ◽  
Worker Safety ◽  
Key Stakeholders ◽  
Market Planning ◽  
Vehicle Automation

The advent of autonomous vehicles is forecast to bring enormous changes to the workplace as positions primarily involving driving become progressively redundant. Little is known about public awareness of these impending changes and the potential impacts on society and individuals. This study involved a national survey of Australians and interviews with key stakeholders across multiple countries to identify major potential issues associated with vehicle automation, including in and around the workplace. Most survey respondents had concerns relating to job losses in driving occupations, while almost half anticipated increased employment in technology-related areas. Three primary themes were evident in the data from the stakeholder interviews: (1) the inevitability of the universal use of AVs and hence the immediate need for labour market planning, (2) associated potential effects on occupations that are not primarily structured around driving, and (3) the possibility of increased worker safety and enhanced commuting opportunities.

Towards Automated Bicycles: Achieving Self-Balance Using Steering Control

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wenhao Deng ◽  
Skyler Moore ◽  
Jonathan Bush ◽  
Miles Mabey ◽  
Wenlong Zhang
Keyword(s):  
Autonomous Vehicles ◽  
Controller Design ◽  
Smart Cities ◽  
Autonomous Driving ◽  
Human Robot Interaction ◽  
Steering Control ◽  
Control Moment Gyroscope ◽  
Control Moment ◽  
Potential Applications ◽  
Electric Bicycle

In recent years, researchers from both academia and industry have worked on connected and automated vehicles and they have made great progress toward bringing them into reality. Compared to automated cars, bicycles are more affordable to daily commuters, as well as more environmentally friendly. When comparing the risk posed by autonomous vehicles to pedestrians and motorists, automated bicycles are much safer than autonomous cars, which also allows potential applications in smart cities, rehabilitation, and exercise. The biggest challenge in automating bicycles is the inherent problem of staying balanced. This paper presents a modified electric bicycle to allow real-time monitoring of the roll angles and motor-assisted steering. Stable and robust steering controllers for bicycle are designed and implemented to achieve self-balance at different forward speeds. Tests at different speeds have been conducted to verify the effectiveness of hardware development and controller design. The preliminary design using a control moment gyroscope (CMG) to achieve self-balancing at lower speeds are also presented in this work. This work can serve as a solid foundation for future study of human-robot interaction and autonomous driving.

Using Science Fiction to Teach Point of View

Extrapolation ◽  
2005 ◽  
Vol 46 (2) ◽  
pp. 259-267
Author(s):  
Barbara Bengels
Keyword(s):  
Science Fiction ◽  
Point Of View
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