​
Adam Wessell, Editor
PHY2895- Machine Learning & Neural Networks
Spring 2019
Dr. Hawley
​
Best viewed with Chrome browser on Desktop
Brought to you by:
Joanna Bryson
Joanna Bryson is a Reader in Department of Computer Science at the University of Bath. Her large number of accomplishments makes a brief summary challenging. One noteworthy role was her service as the AI consultant on the LEGO Mindstorms project. As the AI component was seen as part of the core of this project, it would go without saying that installing an incredibly talented person such as Joanna Bryson would be paramount. While this project was her most universally public endeavor, it is by far not her most noteworthy.
Her passion for the subject of intelligence and her captivating personality can easily be parsed from her bio on the University of Bath’s bio pages, last edited in 1997: “I am interested in how intelligence works, in people and animals. (I do not think you can understand the former without the latter!).” This summarizes her interests well; however, her interests and fields of study span much farther than intelligence. She has released many papers and theses in the subjects of anthropology, philosophy (usually in the scope of ethics in relation to artificial intelligence), psychology, computer science, and most notably artificial intelligence research.
​
Initially born in Milwaukee, WI in 1965, she moved to Chicago and attended Glenbard North High School. Chicago proved to be a welcome place for young Bryson who furthered her studies at the prestigious University of Chicago, graduating in 1986 with an Artium Baccalaureus (also known as a bachelor of arts) in non-clinical psychology. As soon as she graduated, she started working in the Chicago financial district. She found that her time was not well spent in this field, so she moved to Scotland to attend the University of Edinborough in 1991, resolving two additional degrees in Psychology and Artificial Intelligence. This was by far not the end of her educational endeavors. She subsequently moved to Boston to
attend MIT to complete her Ph.D. in the studies of Artificial Intelligence in 2001, following up in 2002 by attaining tenure as an associate professor at Bath. Many post-doctorate tracks followed at institutions such as Harvard, MIT, Princeton, and most importantly at the University of Bath where she served on the court, Senate, and counsel for the institution.
Beyond her extensive educational background, she has an impressive resume of projects and achievements. She serves on the editorial board of many journals such as The International Journal of Synthetic Emotions and AI & Society. As her focus was usually the fusion and similarities of human and synthetic intelligence, her resume strongly reflects that. Her humanities projects such as consulting the Red Cross on AI weapons shows her opposition and activism against machines in war. This is further elaborated in John Danaher’s podcast entitled “Episode #24 - Bryson on Why Robots Should Be Slaves”, where she speaks on the design of robots that aid humans.
She has worked together with the EPSRC to develop “Principles of Robotics,” (Boden et al) which, in short, regulates the developers of robots to ensure that they function ethically and in a controlled manner. The adoption of these rules allows the progression of AI and robotics to proliferate, while not being a danger to humans. Her technologically progressive thinking translates into her project "HAL" (Humanoid Agent-builders League). This proposal outlines the ethics required to develop a company that produces artificial humans that are implemented in the workforce. Even though this type of technology does not even exist yet, having some ethics framework for when it does finally exist, will prove to be invaluable. This framework follows three promises that are made to the consumer: Honesty, Serenity, and Selflessness. Then also, most recently, she was instrumental in the formation of the new ethics institute at the University of Bath solidifying the future of ethics and moral behavior in robotics.
Source: bath.ac.uk
References
[1] Bryson, Joanna. “Joanna J. Bryson.” A Proposal for the Humanoid Agent-Builders League (HAL), 1997, www.cs.bath.ac.uk/~jjb/web/joanna-old95.html.
​
[2] Bryson, Joanna. “r/Science - Science AMA Series: I'm Joanna Bryson, a Professor in Artificial (and Natural) Intelligence. I Am Being Consulted by Several Governments on AI Ethics, Particularly on the Obligations of AI Developers towards AI and Society. I'd Love to Talk – AMA!” Reddit, 2017,
www.reddit.com/r/science/comments/5nqdo7/science_ama_series_im_joanna_bryson_a_professor/.a
​
[3] Bryson, Joanna. “A Proposal for the Humanoid Agent-Builders League (HAL).” Http://Www.cs.bath.ac.uk, 2000, www.cs.bath.ac.uk/~jjb/ftp/HAL00.pdf.
[4] Boden, Margaret, Bryson, Joanna, Caldwell, Darwin et al., “Principles of Robotics: Regulating Robots in the Real World.” Http://Eprints.uwe.ac.uk, 2017, eprints.uwe.ac.uk/30566/1/Principles%20of%20robotics%20regulating%20robots%20in%20the%20real%20world.pdf.
[5] Danaher, John. “Philosophical Disquisitions.” The Ethics of Having Children: Deontological Arguments, 1 Jan. 1970, philosophicaldisquisitions.blogspot.com/2017/06/episode-24-bryson-on-why-robots-should.html.
“Joanna Bryson.” O'Reilly | Safari, O'Reilly Media, Inc., 2009, www.oreilly.com/people/7db70-joanna-bryson.
