Law Commons^™

Ethical Testing In The Real World: Evaluating Physical Testing Of Adversarial Machine Learning, Kendra Albert, Maggie Delano, Jonathon Penney, Afsaneh Ragot, Ram Shankar Siva Kumar

Articles, Book Chapters, & Popular Press

This paper critically assesses the adequacy and representativeness of physical domain testing for various adversarial machine learning (ML) attacks against computer vision systems involving human subjects. Many papers that deploy such attacks characterize themselves as “real world.” Despite this framing, however, we found the physical or real-world testing conducted was minimal, provided few details about testing subjects and was often conducted as an afterthought or demonstration. Adversarial ML research without representative trials or testing is an ethical, scientific, and health/safety issue that can cause real harms. We introduce the problem and our methodology, and then critique the physical domain testing …

Next Generation Environmental Assessment In The Emerging High Seas Regime? An Evaluation Of The State Of The Negotiations, Meinhard Doelle, Gunnar Sander

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Click here to access/download;Manuscript;DoelleSander_NextGenerationEAa

Next Generation Environmental Assessment in the Emerging High Seas Regime? An Evaluation of the State of the Negotiations

Meinhard Doelle Canadian Chair, Marine Environmental Protection World Maritime University mhd@wmu.se

Gunnar Sander Norwegian College of Fishery Science University of Tromsø, the Arctic University of Norway

Abstract

This article evaluates prospects for an effective Environmental assessment (EA) regime through the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) process and suggests improvements to the results of the negotiations as of March 2020. We start our review by offering key elements of existing international law as it relates to EA as context. …

Gearing Up Impact Assessment As A Vehicle For Achieving The Un Sustainable Development Goals, Angus Morrison-Saunders, Luis E. Sánchez, François Retief, A. John Sinclair, Meinhard Doelle, Megan Jones, Jan-Albert Wessels, Jenny Pope

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This article reflects on the potential for impact assessment (IA) to be a major vehicle for implementing the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). While it is acknowledged that the SDGs are intended to deliver broader outcomes than IA currently does, we nevertheless argue there is significant convergence between IA and the SDGs, which we explore utilising the key dimensions of sustainability assessment: comprehensiveness, strategicness and integratedness. We conclude that ‘geared up’ IA might be used as a major vehicle to facilitate achievement of the SDGs. However, IA must become more comprehensive and integrated, such that the full suite of SDGs …

Reducing Unnecessary Caesarean Sections: Scoping Review Of Financial And Regulatory Interventions, Newton Opiyo, Claire Young, Jennifer Harris Requejo, Joanna Erdman, Sarah Bales, Ana Pilar Betrán

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Background: Caesarean sections (CS) are increasing worldwide. Financial incentives and related regulatory and legislative factors are important determinants of CS rates. This scoping review examines the evidence base of financial, regulatory and legislative interventions intended to reduce CS rates.

Methods: We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL and two trials registers in June 2019. Both experimental and observational intervention studies were eligible for inclusion. Primary outcome measures were: CS, spontaneous vaginal and instrumental birth rates. We assessed quality of evidence using Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) method.

Results: We identified 9057 articles and assessed 65 full-texts. We included 16 …

Mr. Big And The New Common Law Confessions Rule: Five Years In Review, Adelina Iftene, Vanessa Kinnear

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The Supreme Court of Canada released its decision of R v Hart in July of 2014. The decision provided a two-prong framework for assessing the admissibility of confessions obtained through the undercover police tactic known as “Mr. Big”. The goal of the framework was to address reliability concerns, to protect suspects from state abuse, and to reduce the risk of wrongful convictions. The first prong of the test created a new common law evidentiary rule, under which Mr. Big obtained confessions are now presumptively inadmissible. The second prong revamped the existing abuse of process doctrine.

In this article, the authors …

Identity Manipulation: Responding To Advances In Artificial Intelligence And Robotics, Suzie Dunn

Articles, Book Chapters, & Popular Press

Advances in artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics technologies have destabilized our ability to control our identity. Today, it is increasingly accessible for the average person to appropriate the voice, image, and body of another individual through the use of technology. Deepfake videos swap new faces into existing videos, facial re-enactment allows for the face of one person to be superimposed on the face of someone else in a real time video, artificial speech synthesis can clone another person’s voice, and 3D printing and modern robotics can reproduce life-size copies of living people. These are all examples of the ways technology …