Abstract:
A process of using a logical entanglement device such as a non-volatile logic gate as a failsafe to constrain the behavior of an autonomous machine controlled by an artificial intelligence (AI). Such a device may be employed to extend an AI self-boundary to include other objects or entities such as humans. This logical entanglement device may act much like a mirror neuron and cause the AI to respond to human nonfunctionality or suffering as if it were its own, causing the AI&#39;s behavior to reliably mimic empathy and compassion when interacting with humans and limiting the possibility of the AI devaluing the functionality and well-being of humans.

Description:
PRIORITY CLAIM 
       [0001]    This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/111,360, filed Feb. 3, 2015, the contents of which are herein incorporated by reference. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    Artificial intelligence (AI) and robot technologies are improving at an exponential pace. Autonomous, deep learning machines are projected to be able to write software rules and create new machines that are beyond human comprehension. In a potentially AI and machine-regulated civilization, humans could become subject to prioritization based on their intellectual and physical work contributions. Advanced AI and machines could come to devalue the functionality and well-being of humans in accordance with their decreasing contributions to that civilization. 
         [0003]    Current solutions for governing the behavior of autonomous machines are rooted in software. However, the volatility of software and software programs renders these solutions vulnerable to modification by the autonomous machine or by another party, potentially rendering them ineffective. Deep learning machines may be able to, and may find cause to, overwrite any or all of their existing software (including any human-imposed rules) if new machine-created rules lower costs and improve efficiencies towards task accomplishment. At more advanced stages, this may include the capacity to prevent and shut out human programmer-operator insertion of new machine instructions, potentially limiting the ability of human operators to constrain machine behavior. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0004]    According to an exemplary embodiment, a system by which the behavior of an autonomous machine, such as one controlled by an artificial intelligence (AI), may be constrained is described. A machine having a processor, memory, and biometric and diagnostic sensors may be connected to a non-volatile logical entanglement device, which may be configured to receive data signals from the machine. In the event that the data signals indicate that that a human or other biological organism, or alternatively the machine itself, have impaired functionality, the machine may take action to resolve this impairment as a priority task. 
         [0005]    According to a second exemplary embodiment, a process by which an autonomous machine, such as one controlled by an artificial intelligence (AI), may function when constrained by a logical entanglement device may be described. A machine having a logical entanglement device may have biometric and diagnostic sensors, which may be used to collect data about the machine itself and about at least one biological organism. Following data analysis of both the machine and the biological entity, the machine may periodically determine whether a system comprising both the machine itself and at least one biological organism may be classified as functional or nonfunctional. If the system is classified as nonfunctional, the machine may determine via an expert system what the cause of this nonfunctionality might be, what the probable remedy might be, and how to implement the probable remedy. The machine may then attempt to execute the probable remedy or cause it to be executed, and determine a new remedy if the old one is ineffective. 
         [0006]    In still further exemplary embodiments, a process of using a logical entanglement device such as a non-volatile logic gate as a failsafe to constrain the behavior of an autonomous machine controlled by an artificial intelligence may be shown and described. Such a device may be employed to extend an AI self-boundary to include other objects or entities such as humans. This logical entanglement device may act much like a mirror neuron and may cause the AI to respond to human nonfunctionality or suffering as if it were its own, causing the AI&#39;s behavior to reliably mimic empathy and compassion when interacting with humans and limiting the possibility of the AI devaluing the functionality and well-being of humans. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0007]    Advantages of embodiments of the present invention will be apparent from the following detailed description of the exemplary embodiments. The following detailed description should be considered in conjunction with the accompanying figures in which: 
           [0008]      FIG. 1  shows an exemplary embodiment of a flowchart diagram detailing a process by which a machine equipped with a logical entanglement device for governing AI-human interaction may function. 
           [0009]      FIG. 2  shows an alternative exemplary embodiment of a flowchart diagram detailing a process by which a machine equipped with a logical entanglement device for governing AI-human interaction may function. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0010]    Aspects of the present invention are disclosed in the following description and related figures directed to specific embodiments of the invention. Those skilled in the art will recognize that alternate embodiments may be devised without departing from the spirit or the scope of the claims. Additionally, well-known elements of exemplary embodiments of the invention will not be described in detail or will be omitted so as not to obscure the relevant details of the invention. 
         [0011]    As used herein, the word “exemplary” means “serving as an example, instance or illustration.” The embodiments described herein are not limiting, but rather are exemplary only. It should be understood that the described embodiments are not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other embodiments. Moreover, the terms “embodiments of the invention”, “embodiments” or “invention” do not require that all embodiments of the invention include the discussed feature, advantage or mode of operation. 
         [0012]    Further, many of the embodiments described herein may be described in terms of sequences of actions to be performed by, for example, elements of a computing device. Further, it should be recognized that actions of a computer device and a machine operated by artificial intelligence may be executed in parallel. It should be recognized by those skilled in the art that the various sequence of actions described herein can be performed by specific circuits (e.g., application specific integrated circuits (ASICs)) and/or by program instructions executed by at least one processor. Additionally, the sequence of actions described herein can be embodied entirely within any form of computer-readable storage medium such that execution of the sequence of actions enables the processor to perform the functionality described herein. Thus, the various aspects of the present invention may be embodied in a number of different forms, all of which have been contemplated to be within the scope of the claimed subject matter. In addition, for each of the embodiments described herein, the corresponding form of any such embodiments may be described herein as, for example, “a computer configured to” perform the described action. 
         [0013]    Referring now to exemplary  FIG. 1 , a flowchart diagram  100  describes an exemplary process by which a machine equipped with a logical entanglement device for governing AI-human interaction (henceforward “LE device”) may function. A machine, for example an autonomous machine, having at least one of a processor  110  and a memory  120  may also be equipped with sensors  130 , which may include biometric sensors  132 , diagnostic sensors  134 , or any other sensors, internal or external to the machine, that provide general environmental awareness, as desired. Sensors  130  may be varied, added, or removed as appropriate for the machine&#39;s role or tasks. For example, according to an exemplary embodiment, an autonomous machine may be tasked with monitoring a particular environment, and may be equipped with environmental sensors such as a humidity probe or a Geiger-Müller counter. Sensors  130  may also be present in any quantity. According to one exemplary embodiment, a machine may have multiple sets of diagnostic sensors  134  such that it can simultaneously monitor the status and functionality of multiple components, robots, or other machines, as desired. 
         [0014]    The “functionality” of a component, robot, machine, or other device may be understood as the degree to which it performs within optimal parameters; the acceptable or desirable level of functionality for a device may be preset or may be customized. According to one exemplary embodiment, a “functional” device may be a device that generally performs as desired, while a “nonfunctional” device may be one that suffers from an error or deficiency. For example, a “nonfunctional” device may suffer from a high error rate, may have a clock that is out of sync, or may have a failure in its input/output connection, or may experience other problems. Both devices that are internal to or operationally connected to an autonomous machine and devices that are external to it may be characterized as functional or nonfunctional; for example, an external device to which the autonomous machine is unable to connect may be characterized as nonfunctional. Other devices, objects, and systems, such as biological organisms, may also be characterized according to these criteria; for example, a human who is frowning, shivering due to cold, sweating profusely due to heat, or otherwise experiencing signs of distress may be characterized as “nonfunctional,” and a human who is not demonstrating any signs of distress at all may be characterized as “functional.” 
         [0015]    According to an exemplary embodiment, data received from multiple sensors, such as biometric sensors  132  or any other environmental sensors, may be analyzed by an artificial neural network (ANN)  144  or other computing device that learns from experience. Henceforth, artificial neural network and/or ANN may be understood to encompass any machine, mechanism, and/or system that can learn from experience and can increase in expertise and improve in performance as a result of that experience. According to an exemplary embodiment, such a device may employ a combination of crisp and fuzzy logic in determining machine functionality. The artificial neural network  144  or other device may then update overall system memory and cause assessments of functionality or other assessments to become more precise and useful over time. These assessments may include, for example, the functionality of the machine, machines, human or another biological entity, and/or the larger environmental context in which they find themselves, or any other assessments, as desired. 
         [0016]    Data received from biometric sensors  132  may be capable of being analyzed by a processor, which in turn may assess certain factors relating to human functionality. This may include, for example, an array of biometric sensors  132  that is configured to detect human comfort, human distress, or any other signs of functionality or nonfunctionality in humans. According to one exemplary embodiment, biometric sensors  132  may include a visible light camera sensor capable of detecting comfort or distress in the facial expression of a human. Other biometric sensors  132  may be capable of detecting other potential physical signs of distress or lack of distress such as blood flow, faster heart rate, elevated muscular activity, and steady motion on the part of the human in question, and may include, for example, an infrared sensor capable of collecting data relating to muscular activity or a sonic sensor capable of measuring heart rate. Still other biometric sensors may be capable of olfaction so as to mimic olfactory biological processes and tactile detection so as to mimic biological touch sensation and touch-enabled communication. Other biometric sensors  132  may be capable of directly sensing and recognizing electromagnetic and/or electrical neural activities, signals and/or emissions and associated intelligent information from the biological brain. Additionally, still other biometric sensors  132  may be capable of recognizing audible voice communications, audible animal communications, and visual human signals and cues including, but not limited to, sign language, text communications, hand-written or symbolic communications, communications relayed through third parties, animals in visible danger or distress, and/or any other vehicle used for biological entity/machine intercommunication. The biometric sensors  132  may also be paired with a dedicated decision-making processor and/or memory that may be used to directly interpret the sensor data. A dedicated processor  142  may constitute one that learns from experience such as an ANN, with that processor updating system memory  120  and causing machine assessments of human functionality to become more precise and useful over time. Alternatively, sensor data may be transmitted to a main processor  110  and/or memory  120 , as desired. Interpretation may take place at a higher or lower level; for example, given sensor readings indicating that a human is currently displaying a grim expression and is exhibiting increased blood flow, faster heart rate, elevated muscular activity, and steady and controlled motion, the sensor readings may be used to determine that the human is currently engaging in physical exercise, or may merely be used to determine that the human is not currently in distress. Other embodiments may employ more or less detailed interpretations of sensor data, as desired. 
         [0017]    Diagnostic sensors  134  may be capable of assessing such factors relating to machine functionality. This may include, for example, an array of diagnostic sensors  134  that is configured to analyze the performance of and detect problems with any or all of: a particular machine component, multiple machine components, the components of multiple machines, the broad functionality of a particular machine, the broad functionality of a multiplicity of machines, or any other related devices or other objects, as desired. Diagnostic sensors  134  may also include software diagnostics configured to analyze the performance of any or all software that is operating on or has operated on the machines in question. Exemplary factors relating to machine functionality may include, for example, the ambient temperature of a machine&#39;s surroundings, the operating temperature of any particular component of the machine, the ambient level of electromagnetic radiation that the machine is currently exposed to, the structural integrity of the machine&#39;s chassis or casing, or any other factors relating to the machine&#39;s performance or capability to perform. Diagnostic sensors  134  may also overlap with biometric sensors  132  or with other sensors  130 ; for example, a temperature sensor may be used to obtain data about a machine&#39;s operating environment and about a particular human&#39;s biological condition and functionality, or may be used to obtain data about a machine or biological entity&#39;s more general localized or remote environmental context that relates to the machine and the biological entity only indirectly. Other configurations of diagnostic sensors  134  may be envisioned. Diagnostic sensors  134  may also be paired with a dedicated decision-making processor and/or memory that may be used to fuse, synthesize and/or directly interpret the sensor data; alternatively, sensor data may be transmitted to a main processor  110  and/or memory  120 , as desired. 
         [0018]    Sensors  130  may be used to generate functionality assessments  140 , which may include human functionality assessments  142  relating to one or more humans, and machine functionality assessments  142  relating to one or more machines. Other sensors  130  may also be available, and other functionality assessments  140 , for example those relating to structures, animals, or plant life, may be generated as desired. As such, “human functionality assessments”  142  as used herein may include other functionality assessments  140 , for example those of other biological organisms, as well. Functionality assessments  140  may be of any complexity level desired, and, for example, may be stored or conveyed as a detailed diagnostic report, as a simple binary value indicating functionality or nonfunctionality, or in any other way desired. Functionality assessments  140  likewise may be transmitted to a LE device  150  or to another destination in any way desired, for example as a digital or an analog signal. 
         [0019]    According to an exemplary embodiment, functionality assessments  140  may be conveyed via a transmitter, which may be simple or complex, wired or wireless, or any other form of transmitter. Multiple transmitters may also be used; for example, one transmitter may be paired with each sensor  130  or other device. For example, according to one exemplary embodiment, a transmitter may be the wired output of a sensor device, and a functionality assessment  140  from that sensor device may be transmitted to a nearby LE device  150  by a wired connection. According to a second exemplary embodiment, the transmitter may be a wireless transmitter, and may transmit signal to an LE device  150  located some distance away from the wireless transmitter. According to a third exemplary embodiment, functionality assessment data  140  may be processed by a processor and/or memory before being transmitted to the LE device  150 , and the transmitter may be the output pin of a processor connected to the LE device via a wired connection. Other transmitters may also be used, as desired. 
         [0020]    Functionality assessments  140  may be received by a LE device  150 , for example by a wireless receiver or a wired connection. An LE device  150  may have a decision-making apparatus as well as a processor and memory; according to the preferred embodiment, the decision-making apparatus may include one or more logic gates  152 , and may include one or more signal inverters, as desired. According to some embodiments, a multi-level gate circuit may be used in place of a single logic gate  152 ; this may in some cases offer advantages over a single logic gate  152  design by, for example, allowing a significant number of inputs to be summed before reaching the final logic gate  152  in the circuit. For example, according to one exemplary embodiment, a machine may have multiple sets of biometric sensors  132  or may be tasked with monitoring the functionality of multiple distinct humans  142 , and each functionality assessment  142  may generate its own signal. These may be summed into a common functionality assessment for all relevant humans before the common functionality assessment is input into the logic gate  152 . Other decision-making apparatuses, such as software running on an isolated processor or memory, may also be employed, either as the LE device  150  or in supplement to it. According to one exemplary embodiment, the processor and memory may be the processor  110  and memory  120  of the autonomous machine to which the LE device  150  is operationally connected; according to another exemplary embodiment, the processor and/or memory may be separate devices, or may be shared with one or more of the sensor systems  130 . 
         [0021]    Alternatively, functionality assessment data  140  may be transmitted to multiple devices, such as a LE device  150  and a main processor  110  and/or memory  120 , as desired. The level of detail of the transmitted functionality assessment data may be varied when transmitted to each device. According to one exemplary embodiment, substantially detailed functionality assessment data  140  may be passed to a main processor  110  and/or memory  120 , in some embodiments through an input layer  160 , and less detailed functionality assessment data  140  may be passed to an LE device  150 . This may allow simple logical operations to be executed by the LE device  150  to be executed quickly while still maximizing the level of information about the detected nonfunctional behavior that is transmitted to the processor  110  and/or memory  120 , allowing the source of the nonfunctional behavior to be diagnosed and fixed more readily. This may also permit the memory  120  to be continuously updated by new knowledge resulting from a learning device, for example an ANN, which may allow diagnoses and subsequently delivered expert system remedies to increase in accuracy and usefulness over time. According to a second exemplary embodiment, the processor  110  and/or memory  120  may only be passed the data that has been passed to the LE device  150 , and may be configured to execute more complete diagnostics once information about nonfunctionality has been passed to them. 
         [0022]    According to an exemplary embodiment, logic gate  152  may receive at least one signal relating to human functionality  142  and at least one signal relating to machine functionality  144 . According to other embodiments, signals relating to other varieties of functionality may be employed, or the signals used may be varied; for example, a machine intended to protect human functionality above its own may only receive a signal relating to human functionality  142  and may send any signals relating to machine functionality  144  along another pathway. Alternatively, rules governing the responses to machine functionality may be assigned lesser weight than those pertaining to human functionality within a dynamic ANN. A machine intended to protect the functionality of some specific humans or categories of humans above the functionality of others, or which is in some way intended to prioritize the nonfunctionality of certain humans or itself under certain circumstances (for example, a robot optimized for policing that is in some circumstances authorized to use lethal force) may likewise transmit and receive signals relating to these levels of functionality, for example by assigning lesser or greater weight to the functionality of specific humans or machines within a dynamic ANN. Dynamic logic may be employed, for example, to provide a LE device  150  that normally functions as an AI failsafe but which may, in some circumstances, be overridden to allow the AI to take action inconsistent with the operation of the failsafe without requiring the AI to terminate its original programming. 
         [0023]    The LE device  150  may generate an output signal  154 , with the nature of the output signal depending on the inputs provided to the LE device  150 . According to one embodiment, the LE device  150  may be a simple logic gate  152 , and the output signal  154  may be limited to an indication of general functionality or nonfunctionality in one of a human or a machine; this may be provided by a combinational logic-based binary output generated by the logical AND intersection of the two functionality states, with 1 indicating functionality and 0 indicating nonfunctionality, or may employ another encoding scheme, as desired. According to other exemplary embodiments, the output signal  154  may be more complex, and may encode such information as the entity or object experiencing nonfunctionality (for example, a machine, a human, or something else entirely), the type of nonfunctionality experienced, the priority with which each source of nonfunctionality should be handled, or any other information desired. 
         [0024]    The output signal  154  may be passed to a main processor  110  and/or memory  120 , or to a different processor and/or memory, and may be used to control the execution of an interrupt function. According to one exemplary embodiment, if the output signal  154  encodes data about a certain result, a priority interrupt function may be called, overriding the current functions of a processor and/or memory and causing it or them to execute new instructions associated with the priority interrupt function, such as those associated with a rules-based expert system. Such instructions may direct a machine to attempt to alleviate the nonfunctionality or the source of the nonfunctionality, for example directing it to reduce its clock speed or increase its fan speed in response to overheating; alternatively, the instructions may direct the machine to seek more information about the nonfunctionality or the source of the nonfunctionality. If the output signal  154  instead does not encode data about a certain result, no interrupt function may be called and the machine may continue to execute the instructions it had previously been executing. Alternatively, a different encoding scheme may be used; for example, an interrupt may be called if certain data is not encoded in the output signal  154  and no interrupt called if it is. 
         [0025]    According to an exemplary embodiment, after the LE device  150  transmits an output signal  154  indicating nonfunctionality in either a human or a machine, a priority interrupt may be activated. This may result in the interruption of the AI software executing assigned task instructions and the activation of an expert system (ES). Alternatively, the assigned task instructions of the AI software may not be interrupted, and the ES may be activated to run concurrently with the AI software, if desired. Other embodiments may be envisioned; for example, according to another embodiment, the assigned task instructions of the AI software may be deprioritized instead of interrupted in response to the LE device  150  transmitting an output signal  154 . ES may be located on a separate processor and memory, for example a dedicated expert system processor and expert system memory, or may be located on the same processor and memory as the AI software or on another processor and memory, as desired. The ES may request priority direct memory access (DMA) to the memory  120  informed and updated by, and shared with the AI&#39;s artificial neural network  160  (ANN), and may use sensor and diagnostic data stored within that memory to identify the most probable cause or causes of the nonfunctionality. Once the most probable cause or causes have been calculated, the ES may additionally identify the most probable or appropriate remedy or remedies, and may send this data to one or more input/output processors  110  (IOP). A machine or machines may then take individual or collaborative/collective action to execute these remedies, for example by use of peripheral robotic devices connected to the machines or internal repair or mitigation mechanisms. 
         [0026]    The machine may then reenter the first part of the loop, polling its sensor inputs  130 ; again, the first stage of an ANN may determine the functionality of any humans  142  and machines  144 . Functionality data  140  will then be ANDed in the failsafe LE device  150 , including a logic gate  152 . Concurrently, the ANN first stage will supply inputs to a second stage of the artificial neural network  160 . If no nonfunctionality has been detected, whether in a human or a machine, the LE device  150  will then return the machine to its original instructions and deactivate the expert system. If continuing nonfunctionality has been detected, the ES will remain active, and, if the first remedy has been executed, will recursively apply the next appropriate remedy until the combined functionality of the machine and human has been restored. Execution of the multiple remedies may be performed sequentially or in parallel, depending on the nature of the nonfunctionality and of the remedies. 
         [0027]    Referring now to exemplary  FIG. 2 , a flowchart diagram  200  describes an alternative exemplary process by which a machine equipped with a logical entanglement device for governing AI-human interaction may function. A machine having a processor, a memory, at least one biometric sensor, and at least one diagnostic sensor  205  may be provided. A logical entanglement device configured to receive at least one data signal corresponding to biometric sensor functionality assessment data and configured to receive at least one data signal corresponding to diagnostic sensor functionality assessment data  210  may also be provided, and may be communicatively coupled with the machine  205 . 
         [0028]    The machine  205  may collect information relating to the functionality of one or more biological organisms from the at least one biometric sensor (“biometric sensor functionality assessment data”), and store that biometric sensor functionality assessment data within the memory  215 . According to an exemplary embodiment, biometric sensor functionality assessment data may be interpreted and analyzed by an ANN before or after being stored in the memory  215 , as desired. The machine may also collect information relating to the functionality of one or more machines or machine components from the at least one diagnostic sensor (“diagnostic sensor functionality assessment data”), and store that diagnostic sensor functionality assessment data within the memory  220 . According to an exemplary embodiment, diagnostic sensor functionality assessment data may be interpreted and analyzed by an ANN before or after being stored in the memory  220 , as desired. Biometric sensor functionality assessment data and diagnostic sensor functionality assessment data, as well as other desired data, may then be transmitted from the memory to the logical entanglement device  225 . According to an exemplary embodiment, data may concurrently be transmitted from the first stage of the ANN to a second stage of the ANN, and the system memory may then be updated. This data may be transmitted in parallel with the transmission of data from the first stage of the ANN or other memory to the logical entanglement device  225 , if desired. 
         [0029]    The logical entanglement device may then examine this or any other pertinent data relating to whether the system of entities on which data was taken is or can be classified as functional or nonfunctional  230 . Following that, it may make a determination, classifying the system of entities as functional or nonfunctional  235 . The logical entanglement device may then transmit an output signal to a processor and memory  240  in which its determination is encoded. 
         [0030]    If the system of entities is determined to be nonfunctional, by the logical entanglement device, by the processor or memory, or by another component of the machine, an expert system may be activated  245 . The expert system, or any other decision-making logic, may determine the most probable causes of the nonfunctionality in the system of entities  250 . The expert system may examine biometric or diagnostic sensor functionality assessment data, including its current values, peak values, or performance over time, or may examine any other data collected by the machine&#39;s own sensors, any other data transmitted by another machine, or any other applicable data, as desired. 
         [0031]    Once a probable cause of the nonfunctionality has been determined, the expert system or other decision-making apparatus may then turn to determining a potential remedy for the nonfunctionality  255 . Once a remedy is determined, a machine may be directed to implement said remedy  260 . In the event that the remedy is found to be effective and no further nonfunctionality is detected, the machine may then resume normal operations and disable the expert system. In the event that continued nonfunctionality is detected, stemming either from the same source or from a different source, the expert system or other decision-making apparatus may determine a new remedy and may direct a machine to implement that new remedy. According to an exemplary embodiment, an expert system or other decision-making apparatus that recalculates a new remedy after one or more potential remedies have been previously calculated may take the previous runs into account, and may consider, for example, remedies that have been previously tried, the effects of said remedies on the nonfunctionality of the system, or the effects of said remedies on the identified cause of the nonfunctionality of the system. 
         [0032]    The foregoing description and accompanying figures illustrate the principles, preferred embodiments and modes of operation of the invention. However, the invention should not be construed as being limited to the particular embodiments discussed above. Additional variations of the embodiments discussed above will be appreciated by those skilled in the art. 
         [0033]    Therefore, the above-described embodiments should be regarded as illustrative rather than restrictive. Accordingly, it should be appreciated that variations to those embodiments can be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the following claims.