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There are sinister goings on in my nondescript research lab, deep within the first floor people are being made to wear funny hats or walk around with water bottles strapped to their back. Why? Well at great personal risk I can reveal that most of my colleagues are involved in biometric research. Specifically, gait analysis and ear biometrics – identification at a distance. Similar to automatic number plate recognition, automatic people recognition is the ultimate goal of this research. Everybody has a unique walking style, a unique face and a unique set of ears, all of these can be picked up by CCTV and used to tag and track your movements. So are my colleagues stripping away our last vestiges of privacy, providing a useful tool for our overstretched security services or will the whole thing turn out to be unworkable outside of the lab. Only time, and a variety of silly hats, will tell.
One of the briefs on my impending Sheffield job is to work on an experimental health and fitness agent, one that is able to discuss your fitness plans and motivate you on a daily basis. Now health and fitness is very important to me, I can usually be found sparring or running with equally insane people at 7am. When I’m not doing this I’ll be competing in triathlons or killing myself on a rock face. Mind you, I’m not any good at these things I just enjoying doing it.
And now I’m a little worried. I’m worried because I think I would be more likely to benefit from one of these:
than one of these:
One is an inspirationally designed but relatively simple robot and the other is a prototype that will require a very advanced dialogue system. The problem is that no matter how advanced the bunny, no matter how detailed the reasoning, at 6am I can just turn it off . By comparison, Clocky demands a response because it’s bloody annoying and if you’re up at 6 you might as well go for a run!
Seriously though, personal trainers and sports clubs work because if you don’t go training they will know about it. The social stigma motivates you to get up. Clocky works because if you don’t stop it it will carry on, remorselessly. Could we ever find ourselves in a situation where we go for a run on a wet December morning because if we don’t an artificial bunny will ‘know’ about it? I’m not sure, but I’m looking forward to finding out.
Detective Spooner: Human beings have dreams. Even dogs have dreams, but not you, you are just a machine. An imitation of life. Can a robot write a symphony? Can a robot turn a… canvas into a beautiful masterpiece?
Sonny: Can *you*?
Could AI create an artistic masterpiece? Gareth Hallberg, from Sussex university is already planning a public engagement activity to investigate this very question. The plan is to set up an exhibition in Brighton sometime around August/September. Bringing together a collaboration of artists and AI researchers they will be questioning the creative process. Focusing on the difference between “p-creatives”, those that can be creative within an existing field of study, and “h-creatives”, those that can define entirely new conceptual spaces, it promises to be a fascinating exhibition.
Following on from the success of last years cake talk series we’re now hoping to set up a regular Wednesday afternoon slot alternating between the ISIS reading group and cake talk presentations. However, for this to succeed we need volunteers who are willing to give informal 20min presentations on their work. It’s a great opportunity to practice your presentation technique and get feedback on your ideas. So if you think this sounds like a good idea then please send an email to Sina or myself and we’ll book you in on a spare Wednesday.
