“OFFICER, ARREST THAT ROBOT!”

Humans have rights, animals have rights, corporations have rights … but what about artificially intelligent systems?

Sound ridiculous? Jerry Kaplan, Visiting Lecturer in Computer Science and Codex Fellow, will argue that it makes perfect sense to accord sufficiently capable AI systems rights and responsibilities, in order to control their use and ensure that they respect society's norms. For instance, such “Artificial Persons” should pass the bar before offering legal advice; self-driving cars should pass road tests to be licensed for street use; autonomous soldiers should adhere to international warfare conventions; robotic hairstylists should take cosmetology exams.

In this talk, Jerry Kaplan explores questions such as: Can an AI system be an agent under the law? Can it be a principal? Can an AI system be criminally liable? If so, can it be punished? He argues that permitting AI systems to own assets would present a serious threat to society, potentially ruining our economy.

This talk will discuss some of the practical challenges artificially intelligent systems pose to our legal, economic, and civil systems, and what we should do to prepare for their emergence.

Lunch will be provided.

Jerry Kaplan

Fellow, The Stanford Center for Legal Informatics (CODEX)
Visiting Lecturer, Computer Science

Kaplan is widely known in the computer industry as a serial entrepreneur, inventor, scientist, and author. He is currently a Fellow at The Stanford Center for Legal Informatics (CODEX), and a Visiting Lecturer in Computer Science teaching the social, legal, and economic impact of Artificial Intelligence.

Kaplan co-founded several ventures including Winster.com (social games); Onsale.com (online auctions); GO Corporation (tablet computers); and Teknowledge (expert systems). He was awarded the 1998 Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year, Northern California and served on the Governor’s Electronic Commerce Advisory Council Member under Pete Wilson, Governor of California (1999).

Kaplan wrote a best-selling non-fiction novel entitled “Startup: A Silicon Valley Adventure”, selected by Business Week as one of the top ten business books of the year, and optioned to Sony Pictures, with translations available in Japanese, Chinese, and Portuguese. His forthcoming book, “Humans Need Not Apply: The Real Impact of Artificial Intelligence” is slated for release summer of 2015 from Yale University Press.

Kaplan holds a BA in History and Philosophy of Science from the University of Chicago (1972), and a PhD in Computer and Information Science (specializing in Artificial Intelligence) from the University of Pennsylvania (1979).

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