Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!husc6!uwvax!oddjob!ncar!gatech!linus!mbunix!bwk
From: bwk@mitre-bedford.ARPA (Barry W. Kort)
Newsgroups: comp.ai
Subject: Re: AIList V6 #86 - Philosophy
Summary: A Responsible System is a System who is Able to Respond.
Keywords: Responsiblity, Cybernetics, Malfunction, Loss of Steerage
Message-ID: <32081@linus.UUCP>
Date: 16 May 88 18:26:11 GMT
References: <1579@pt.cs.cmu.edu> <3200016@uiucdcsm> <523@wsccs.UUCP> <11191@sunybcs.UUCP>
Sender: news@linus.UUCP
Reply-To: bwk@mbunix (Kort)
Organization: Moribund Corporation, Seventh Chapter, DE
Lines: 17

David Sher has injected some new grist into the discussion of
"responsibility" for machines and intelligent systems.

I tend to delegate responsibility to machines known as "feedback
control systems".  I entrust them to maintain the temperature of
my house, oven, and hot water.  I entrust them to maintain my
highway speed (cruise control).  When these systems malfunction,
things can go awry in a big way.  I think we would have no trouble
saying that such feedback control systems "fail", and their failure
is the cause of undesirable consequences.

The only interesting issue is our reaction.  I say fix them (or
improve their reliability) and get on with it.  Blame and punishment
are pointless.  If a system is unable to respond, doesn't it make
more sense to restore its ability than to merely label it "irresponsible"?

--Barry Kort