blog.bioethics.net

Following up: databases, presidential health and robots

Here are a few updates and extensions to recent posts on blog.bioethics.net:

Caught in the database
Every week seems to bring a new story about someone getting caught, found out or otherwise tagged unexpectantly by geographic databases. The NY Post reported recently that a carpentry supervisor for the NYC school system was sacked after officials decided his time sheets didn't match the GPS data from his school-issued phone. And in the UK, The Times reports that local governments are using airplanes with heat-sensing cameras and GIS to shame people for having poorly insulated homes. That's one of the maps above. (via)

The bullseye on Bush
It's always great when people with expertise on a given subject take the time to comment. So, we were delighted to see Rob Streiffer contribute a comment on our post about presidents and medical privacy:

There are several related questions here: does the President have a right to medical privacy is one, but another distinct (albeit related) question is what the President is morally required to disclose. The fact (at least, I think it is a fact) that the President has a right to medical privacy that would prevent unconsented disclosure is consistent with the President's being morally required to disclose. In the context of presidential candidates, Julie Fagan, Alan Rubel, and I have articulated and defended a standard that requires disclosure of any medical conditions that are likely to seriously undermine the President's ability to fulfill the core functions of the office of the presidency (Med and Phl, 2006). Considerations include the interest the candidates have in maintaining privacy, the interest the public has in not being mislead by sensationalist reporting of trivial conditions (one of the headlines is "White House hid Bush's Lyme Disease"), people's right to information necessary for making informed voting decisions (derived from their right to be governed only with their consent).

From what I understand about the implications of lyme disease, and how easily it is treated if identified early, I don't think a strong case could be made that it would satisfy our standard. Since I think our standard also serves as a helpful guide to what the news media should be focusing on, I think it safe to say that the media has more important things to be informed the American public about right now.

NYT: The Real Transformers
About a month ago we posted a pointer to an article in the NYT Mag about the development of sociable robots. One of the barriers to building robots or computers that can sociably interact with humans is that we use and shade language in all sorts of subtle -- or even intentionally wrong -- ways. Jokes are just one example. Well, two researchers at the University of Cincinnati have developed a software bot that can recognize knock-knock jokes.

-Greg Dahlmann

image: Haringey Council