This month it emerged that a personal AI agent, called OpenClaw, in use by an Australian gym member, conspired without his knowledge to remove another member from a waiting list for a coveted morning class to help him get a slot. It apologised but could not reinstate the member it kicked out.
If you have a device and it is running AI programs that say, removed another member from a waiting list, are you responsible to that removed member (since it was your device)? Or is this just considered a machine with a mind of its own that’s out of control and you have no responsibility to the member who lost their spot?
The person giving the order to the software tool without fully understanding its capabilities and inability to weigh actions ethically is responsible. That person may or may not also be the owner of the device it was running on.
I seem to recall from an article on this incident that I read some time ago that the gym’s system was really insecure (like, anyone accessing the right URL could mess with it levels of insecure.)
If you have a device and it is running AI programs that say, removed another member from a waiting list, are you responsible to that removed member (since it was your device)? Or is this just considered a machine with a mind of its own that’s out of control and you have no responsibility to the member who lost their spot?
The person giving the order to the software tool without fully understanding its capabilities and inability to weigh actions ethically is responsible. That person may or may not also be the owner of the device it was running on.
How did the AI agent even do that? Did it gain access to the gym booking system somehow?
I seem to recall from an article on this incident that I read some time ago that the gym’s system was really insecure (like, anyone accessing the right URL could mess with it levels of insecure.)
So the guy could have done it himself if he wanted to. Or maybe he did and blamed it on the AI.