Robotica
Speech Rights and Artificial Intelligence

Offers a First Amendment approach to defend against governmental censorship of the newest form of technological expression: robotic speech.

Ronald K. L. Collins (Author), David M. Skover (Author)

9781108428064, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 31 May 2018

178 pages
23.5 x 15.6 x 1.4 cm, 0.43 kg

'Collins and Skover have produced a wonderfully readable, thorough, and insightful exploration of the intersection of technology and free speech theory, from the beginning of time well into the future. If any current scholarly work of free speech theory survives into the next century, it will undoubtedly be this book.' Martin Redish, Louis and Harriet Ancel Professor of Law and Public Policy, Northwestern University Law School, Illinois, and author of The Adversary First Amendment: Free Expression and the Foundations of American Democracy

In every era of communications technology - whether print, radio, television, or Internet - some form of government censorship follows to regulate the medium and its messages. Today we are seeing the phenomenon of 'machine speech' enhanced by the development of sophisticated artificial intelligence. Ronald K. L. Collins and David M. Skover argue that the First Amendment must provide defenses and justifications for covering and protecting robotic expression. It is irrelevant that a robot is not human and cannot have intentions; what matters is that a human experiences robotic speech as meaningful. This is the constitutional recognition of 'intentionless free speech' at the interface of the robot and receiver. Robotica is the first book to develop the legal arguments for these purposes. Aimed at law and communication scholars, lawyers, and free speech activists, this work explores important new problems and solutions at the interface of law and technology.

The thesis
Ronald Collins and David Skover
Prologue: technology and communication
1. The progress and perils of communication
2. Robots and their receivers
3. The new norm of utility
Epilogue: from Areopagitica to Robotica
The commentaries
Robotica in context: an introduction to the commentaries Ryan Calo
The age of sensorship Jane Bambauer
Speech in, speech out James Grimmelmann
An old libel lawyer confronts Robotica's brave new world Bruce E. H. Johnson
What's old is new again (and vice-versa) Helen Norton
Reply Ronald Collins and David Skover
Robotica refined.

Subject Areas: Artificial intelligence [UYQ], Computer science [UY], Computing & information technology [U], Government powers [LNDH], Human rights & civil liberties law [LNDC], Constitutional & administrative law [LND], Law [L], Political science & theory [JPA], Politics & government [JP], Society & social sciences [J]