Hi-Tech Crime CRIM30375

Police drones: can we trust the eyes in the skies? Some people are concerned by the presence of drones in the air above them. Shutterstock Omar Mubin , Western Sydney University In Australia, unmanned aerial vehicles – or drones – are now being used by the police in most states as a tool to help fight crime or to assist in rescue missions. For example, drones are being used to locate people on the ground and transmit GPS coordinates back to an operator during bushfires. They can also be used to create 3D maps of terrain in advance of an upcoming operation. And some drones can even detect chemicals or radiation. Drones are increasingly being used in law enforcement as well as in the military and by intelligence agencies. Yet, despite their benefits, some members of the public have resisted their adoption . There has also been friction between police services, civil aviation authorities and regulatory bodies that monitor privacy...

Asimov's Laws of Robotics aren't the moral guidelines they appear to be Tithe Luadthong/Shutterstock Tom Sorell , University of Warwick Seventy-five years ago, the celebrated science fiction writer Isaac Asimov published a short story called Runaround . Set on Mercury, it features a sophisticated robot nicknamed Speedy that has been ordered to gather some of the chemical selenium for two human space adventurers. Speedy gets near the selenium, but a toxic gas threatens to destroy the robot. When it retreats from the gas to save itself, the threat recedes and it feels obliged to go back for the selenium. It is left going round in circles. Speedy is caught in a conflict between two of the laws that robots in Asimov’s stories follow as their core ethical programming: always obey human instructions and always protect your existence (as long as it doesn’t result in human injury). Speedy’s custodians resolve the robot’s conflict ...

After 75 years, Isaac Asimov's Three Laws of Robotics need updating Shutterstock Mark Robert Anderson , Edge Hill University When science fiction author Isaac Asimov devised his Three Laws of Robotics he was thinking about androids. He envisioned a world where these human-like robots would act like servants and would need a set of programming rules to prevent them from causing harm. But in the 75 years since the publication of the first story to feature his ethical guidelines, there have been significant technological advancements. We now have a very different conception of what robots can look like and how we will interact with them. The highly-evolved field of robotics is producing a huge range of devices, from autonomous vacuum cleaners to military drones to entire factory production lines. At the same time, artificial intelligence and machine learning are increasingly behind much of the software that affects us on a daily basi...

Why teaching children about porn and sexting is a step in the right direction Research shows that parents and the police are often unaware of the majority of cases of online sexual abuse. shutterstock Juliane Kloess , University of Birmingham Given that the large majority of UK adults think children should be taught about pornography and sexting in the classroom, the news that sex and relationship education is to be made compulsory in English secondary schools will be welcomed by many parents. The decision will see relationships education added to the national curriculum, with primary school children also expected to have lessons on modern relationships. The curriculum is expected to include issues such as online safety, sexting and consent. It will also tackle domestic abuse and sexual harassment. And it sounds like this move can’t come soon enough, with recent research by the universities of Bath and Birmingham in collaboration...

Augmented reality – how the technology behind Pokemon Go could find its way to the courtroom Mehzeb Chowdhury , Durham University Returning to court to give evidence against their attacker can be a harrowing experience for victims of sexual abuse, and many have described it as like having to experience the abuse all over again . However, the rise of augmented reality and holographic technology – that could bring vulnerable witnesses into court in 3D instead – could offer a solution. Studies have found that secondary victimisation – such as victim-blaming and insensitive behaviour from police, judges and social workers – can make victims feel violated and traumatised. Special measures and other means to testify are available but lawyers have argued that the demeanour of complainants, especially when testifying, can affect the jury’s perception and hinder their case. The jury are key to justice. Shutterstock ...