OSU conference explores robots and AI | Local

It was overwhelming: group discussions and speakers from 10:00 to 18:00. State-of-the-art presentations at the conference's "innovation show". And many questions, especially about the risks and benefits of AI and robots. That's why OSU called the conference "the promise and the peril".

Despite all the promises, the conference also presented the constant pace of comments that began with the phrase "on the other hand".

Stephanie Jenkins, an assistant professor of philosophy at OSU specializing in disability studies, said at a panel late in the morning that a robot could be an effective helper for treating a disabled person assisting with household chores, treatment cycles and meal preparation.

But, on the other hand, she noted that the robot would also be collecting data. Who would arrive at the data, she asked? What happens in case of data breach? And how can you ensure that people working in research and development will consult people with disabilities?

Geoff Hollinger, another assistant professor in mechanical engineering at OSU, asked the question, "What if a drone delivering for Amazon witnesses a crime? What is it done? Ethical and legal tools are needed.

Presenting a discussion of privacy issues, moderator Thomas Dietterich, US Emeritus Professor of Computer Science, proposed this starting point: "I am amazed at the number of people who have invited Alexa to their homes to monitor their conversations. "

And then there is the issue of autonomous cars, one of the most enticing artificial intelligence applications but also frightening on the horizon.

Hollinger asked what was happening if everyone's self-driving system found that a secondary street was the best way to get through a crowded area. Suddenly, there is a traffic jam in the side street.

And how do you make sure the AI ​​reads the right signals? Jason Millar, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Ottawa in Canada, told an anecdote about a Google experiment that was about differentiating between cat and dog pictures.

Experience has shown that the key factor was that Google had noted that dog pictures had grass in the background. That's not enough, Millar said.

"You want the AI ​​to be able to recognize a dog," he said.

Participants were invited, at lunch time, to an innovation fair at the Alumni Center. The famous OSU walking robot was present, accompanied by a Mars rover from the OSU robotics club. And a robot that works under the water. And the broccoli picker of the Crescent Valley High Squad. A laser guided air assisted sprayer with an integrated computer was on the outside. It looked like farm equipment, not a robot.

In the lobby of the Alumni Center, there were four "carts" that allowed brave souls to dance around the floor. Their names: Classic, Sassy, ​​Limey and Cutey. Lionel Wylde, 9, tried his luck with Limey. The fifth student from Portland attended the conference with his mother instead of joining classmates at the Kelly Elementary School, due to his interest in the robots.

"This event is about looking to the future," said Shelly Signs, coordinator of the 150^th birthday programs. And she was talking about Tuesday's conference and the dozens and dozens that preceded it.

"I concluded that there were more than 170 individual events, presentations and events co-organized" at OSU's anniversary celebration, she said. .

Many events related to the status of OSU as a grant-making university on the ground, at sea, in space and in the sun. The list included organizing a party on the solar eclipse during sea tours along the coast and circuits in the forests of the university, but the signs indicated a constant :

"After each visit I attended, I told at least one story told by a passionate visitor," she said. "We have something to be proud of at OSU."