We Robot 2020 | Research and innovation

We Robot 2020 Virtual Edition

We received a fantastic slate of paperexternal link and posterexternal link submissions and we remained committed to providing the authors of the submissions with the highest quality feedback, as is quintessential of We Robot conferences. To this end, we decided to deliver the conference asynchronously online, using pre-recorded author/discussant sessions.

The virtual conference consisted of three live events, a poster gallery, and pre-recorded session with live conversation on Twitter and YouTube.

Live Events

Tuesday, September 22 17:00 EST	We Robot 2020 Virtual Edition Launch Event Hosted by Florian Martin-Bariteau, Jason Millar and Katie Szilagyi (We Robot Co-Chairs) Recording external link #WeRobot2020 Twitter Conversationexternal link
Thursday, September 24 20:00 EST 17:00 PST	We Robot 2020 Virtual Happy Hour Hosted by Ryan Calo and Sue Glueck Join Ryan Calo and Sue "Robot Cat Lady" Glueck for a We Robot virtual happy hour. Sue and Ryan encourage you to bring your own drink AND an original robot law haiku---five, seven, and five syllables and a Kigo (reference to the seasons). The best haiku will receive a secret prize.
Friday, September 25 17:00 EST	We Robot 2020 Virtual Edition Closing Event Hosted by Florian Martin-Bariteau, Jason Millar and Katie Szilagyi (We Robot Co-Chairs) Featuring Michael Froomkin and Ryan Calo (We Robot Co-Creators) The We Robot Program Committee will announce the winners of the paper and poster awards (including the Ian R. Kerr Robotnik Memorial Award for an Emerging Scholar) along with plans for We Robot 2021 (the 10-year anniversary of We Robot!). Recording external link #WeRobot2020 Twitter Conversationexternal link

Tuesday,
September 22

17:00 EST

We Robot 2020 Virtual Edition Launch Event

Hosted by Florian Martin-Bariteau, Jason Millar and Katie Szilagyi (We Robot Co-Chairs)

Recording external link

#WeRobot2020 Twitter Conversationexternal link

Thursday,
September 24

20:00 EST
17:00 PST

We Robot 2020 Virtual Happy Hour

Hosted by Ryan Calo and Sue Glueck

Join Ryan Calo and Sue "Robot Cat Lady" Glueck for a We Robot virtual happy hour. Sue and Ryan encourage you to bring your own drink AND an original robot law haiku---five, seven, and five syllables and a Kigo (reference to the seasons). The best haiku will receive a secret prize.

Friday,
September 25

17:00 EST

We Robot 2020 Virtual Edition Closing Event

Hosted by Florian Martin-Bariteau, Jason Millar and Katie Szilagyi (We Robot Co-Chairs)
Featuring Michael Froomkin and Ryan Calo (We Robot Co-Creators)

The We Robot Program Committee will announce the winners of the paper and poster awards (including the Ian R. Kerr Robotnik Memorial Award for an Emerging Scholar) along with plans for We Robot 2021 (the 10-year anniversary of We Robot!).

Recording external link

#WeRobot2020 Twitter Conversationexternal link

Connection details were automatically sent to people who had registered for We Robot 2020 in April. Interested participants were added to the list by sending an email to werobot@uottawa.ca. Registration was free.

Poster Gallery

We received a fantastic slate of poster submissions. Successful posters are available on the website. We announced the We Robot 2020 Poster Award winner during the live event on Friday, September 25 (see details above).

Discover the We Robot 2020 poster on our virtual gallery!

Paper Sessions

Over the summer of 2020, we worked with authors and discussants to record virtual We Robot paper sessions and panels. Thanks to the hard work of our conference community, we were able to offer a taste of the spirited We Robot discussions that we all love. In the We Robot tradition, the videos feature a discussant presenting the author’s work and offering constructive thoughts and improvements. The author then responds to the discussant’s feedback and an engaged conversation ensues.

See all videos on YouTube

The videos were made available on YouTube at the date and time listed below.

Conference participants were able to comment and exchange thoughts and ideas in the comments section of the video. We welcomed constructive comments on YouTube (where the videos will be hosted) and Twitter (where the videos will be shared with a broader audience).

We announced the We Robot 2020 paper awards winner during the live event on Friday, September 25 (see details above).

Premiere	Session
Wed. 23 9:15 EST	Beyond “In the Loop”: On The Role of Meaningful Human Control in High-Stakes Machine-Human Partnershipsexternal link Liam G. McCoy (University of Toronto), Jacquelyn Burkell, Dallas Card, Brent Davis, Judy Gichoya, Sophie Le Page, and David Madras Discussant: Peter Asaro (The New School) Video recording and conversation on YouTubeexternal link #BeyondInTheLoop Twitter conversationexternal link
Wed. 23 11:15 EST	Panel Session “Legal Liability and Accountability” Discussant: Ann Bartow (University of New Hampshire) Bridging the liability gap using human-centered legal design: three scenarios to apply the liability from social contact external link Silvia De Conca (University of Tilburg) A Law & Economics Approach Regulatory Accountability for Intelligent and Automated Systems: Coordinating Multiple Governance Mechanismsexternal link Adam Hill (University of California, Berkeley) Missing the Unintended Forest despite the Deliberately Planted Trees: Reasonable Foreseeability and Legal Recognition of Platform Algorithm- Facilitated Emergent Systemic Harm to Marginalized Communitiesexternal link Cynthia Khoo (University of Ottawa) Explaining the Punishment/Liability Gap of AI and Robotsexternal link Kyungsin Park (Korea University), Gabriel Lima, Meeyoung Cha, and Chihyung Jeon Video recording and conversation on YouTubeexternal link #LegalLiabilityAI Twitter conversationexternal link
Wed. 23 13:15 EST	Dual Session “Facial Recognition and Identity Manipulation” Discussant: Woodrow Hartzog (Northeastern University) Identity Manipulation: Responding to advances in artificial intelligence and robotics external link Suzie Dunn (University of Ottawa) Legitimate Uses of Facial Recognition Technology in Surveillance: Risks to Personal Integrity and Regulatory Challenges Facing the EUexternal link Ruyi Ding (Stockholm University) Video recording and conversation on YouTubeexternal link #IdentityManipulation Twitter conversationexternal link
Wed. 23 15:15 EST	Humans in the Loop: Building a Culture of Responsible AIexternal link Jesslyn Dymond (TELUS), Pamela Snively, Elena Novas, and Ivey Chiu Discussant: AJung Moon (McGill University) Video recording and conversation on Youtube external link #CorporateRespAI Twitter conversationexternal link
Thur. 24 9:15 EST	Dual Session “Sentiment Analysis in AI” Discussant: Osonde Osoba (Pardee RAND Graduate School) Off-the-Shelf Sentiment Analysis: The Ethics of Subjectively Annotated Data and Objectively Measured AI Modelsexternal link Emily McBain-Ashfield (University of Ottawa), and Jason Millar The Ethics of Emotion in AI Systemsexternal link Luke Stark (Microsoft), and Jesse Hoey Video recording and conversation on YouTube external link #SentimentAnalysis Twitter conversationexternal link
Thur. 24 11:15 EST	Reconciling Legal and Technical Approaches to Algorithmic Biasexternal link Alice Xiang (Partnership on AI) Discussant: Jon Penney (York University) Video recording and conversation on YouTubeexternal link #LegalTechBias Twitter conversationexternal link
Thur. 24 13:15 EST	Involving Seniors in Developing Privacy Best Practices: Towards Responsible Development of Social Technologies for Seniorsexternal link Andrea Slane (Ontario Tech University), Isabel Pedersen, and Patrick Hung Discussant: Hallie Siegel (University of Toronto Robotics Institute) Video recording and conversation on YouTubeexternal link #Robots4Seniors Twitter conversationexternal link
Thur. 24 15:15 EST	People Packets and Fairness in the Age of Algorithmically Controlled Mobility Shapingexternal link Jason Millar (University of Ottawa), Elizabeth Gray Discussant: Bryant Walker-Smith (University of South Carolina) Video recording and conversation on YouTube external link #MobilityShaping Twitter conversationexternal link
Fri. 25 9:15 EST	Towards Integration of African Priorities into Artificial Intelligence (AI) Policy Agendasexternal link Arthur Gwagwa (Centre for Intellectual Property and Information Technology (CIPIT), Strathmore University, Nairobi), Erika Kraemer-Mbula, Nagla Rizk, Isaac Rutenberg, and Jeremy de Beer Discussant: Hugo Cyr (Université du Québec à Montréal) Video recording and conversation on YouTubeexternal link #AfricanAIPolicy Twitter conversationexternal link
Fri. 25 11:15 EST	Narratives of Artificial Intelligence in a Gendered and Racialized World: Emergence on the African Continentexternal link Laura Foster (Indiana University), Bram Van Wiele, and Tobias Schönwetter Discussant: Kanta Dihal (University of Cambridge) Video recording and conversation on YouTube external link #AfricanNarrativesAI Twitter conversationexternal link
Fri. 25 13:15 EST	Administrative Law and the Governance of Automated Decision-Making: A Critical Look at Canada’s Directive on Automated Decision-Makingexternal link Teresa Scassa (University of Ottawa) Discussant: Jennifer Raso (University of Alberta) Video recording and conversation on YouTube external link #AIAdminLaw Twitter conversationexternal link
Fri. 25 15:15 EST	Sextech, Fantasy and Law: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb(shell)external link Lara Karaian (Carleton University) Discussant: Kate Devlin (King's College London) Video recording and conversation on YouTube #SexTechPolicy Twitter conversationexternal link

Premiere

Session

Wed. 23

9:15 EST

Beyond “In the Loop”: On The Role of Meaningful Human Control in High-Stakes Machine-Human Partnershipsexternal link

Liam G. McCoy (University of Toronto), Jacquelyn Burkell, Dallas Card, Brent Davis, Judy Gichoya, Sophie Le Page, and David Madras

Discussant: Peter Asaro (The New School)

Video recording and conversation on YouTubeexternal link

#BeyondInTheLoop Twitter conversationexternal link

Wed. 23

11:15 EST

Panel Session “Legal Liability and Accountability”
Discussant: Ann Bartow (University of New Hampshire)

Bridging the liability gap using human-centered legal design: three scenarios to apply the liability from social contact external link
Silvia De Conca (University of Tilburg)

A Law & Economics Approach Regulatory Accountability for Intelligent and Automated Systems: Coordinating Multiple Governance Mechanismsexternal link
Adam Hill (University of California, Berkeley)

Missing the Unintended Forest despite the Deliberately Planted Trees: Reasonable Foreseeability and Legal Recognition of Platform Algorithm- Facilitated Emergent Systemic Harm to Marginalized Communitiesexternal link
Cynthia Khoo (University of Ottawa)

Explaining the Punishment/Liability Gap of AI and Robotsexternal link
Kyungsin Park (Korea University), Gabriel Lima, Meeyoung Cha, and Chihyung Jeon

Video recording and conversation on YouTubeexternal link

#LegalLiabilityAI Twitter conversationexternal link

Wed. 23

13:15 EST

Dual Session “Facial Recognition and Identity Manipulation”
Discussant: Woodrow Hartzog (Northeastern University)

Identity Manipulation: Responding to advances in artificial intelligence and robotics external link
Suzie Dunn (University of Ottawa)

Legitimate Uses of Facial Recognition Technology in Surveillance: Risks to Personal Integrity and Regulatory Challenges Facing the EUexternal link
Ruyi Ding (Stockholm University)

Video recording and conversation on YouTubeexternal link

#IdentityManipulation Twitter conversationexternal link

Wed. 23

15:15 EST

Humans in the Loop: Building a Culture of Responsible AIexternal link
Jesslyn Dymond (TELUS), Pamela Snively, Elena Novas, and Ivey Chiu

Discussant: AJung Moon (McGill University)

Video recording and conversation on Youtube external link

#CorporateRespAI Twitter conversationexternal link

Thur. 24

9:15 EST

Dual Session “Sentiment Analysis in AI”
Discussant: Osonde Osoba (Pardee RAND Graduate School)

Off-the-Shelf Sentiment Analysis: The Ethics of Subjectively Annotated Data and Objectively Measured AI Modelsexternal link
Emily McBain-Ashfield (University of Ottawa), and Jason Millar

The Ethics of Emotion in AI Systemsexternal link
Luke Stark (Microsoft), and Jesse Hoey

Video recording and conversation on YouTube external link

#SentimentAnalysis Twitter conversationexternal link

Thur. 24

11:15 EST

Reconciling Legal and Technical Approaches to Algorithmic Biasexternal link
Alice Xiang (Partnership on AI)

Discussant: Jon Penney (York University)

Video recording and conversation on YouTubeexternal link

#LegalTechBias Twitter conversationexternal link

Thur. 24

13:15 EST

Involving Seniors in Developing Privacy Best Practices: Towards Responsible Development of Social Technologies for Seniorsexternal link
Andrea Slane (Ontario Tech University), Isabel Pedersen, and Patrick Hung

Discussant: Hallie Siegel (University of Toronto Robotics Institute)

Video recording and conversation on YouTubeexternal link

#Robots4Seniors Twitter conversationexternal link

Thur. 24

15:15 EST

People Packets and Fairness in the Age of Algorithmically Controlled Mobility Shapingexternal link
Jason Millar (University of Ottawa), Elizabeth Gray

Discussant: Bryant Walker-Smith (University of South Carolina)

Video recording and conversation on YouTube external link

#MobilityShaping Twitter conversationexternal link

Fri. 25

9:15 EST

Towards Integration of African Priorities into Artificial Intelligence (AI) Policy Agendasexternal link
Arthur Gwagwa (Centre for Intellectual Property and Information Technology (CIPIT), Strathmore University, Nairobi), Erika Kraemer-Mbula, Nagla Rizk, Isaac Rutenberg, and Jeremy de Beer

Discussant: Hugo Cyr (Université du Québec à Montréal)

Video recording and conversation on YouTubeexternal link

#AfricanAIPolicy Twitter conversationexternal link

Fri. 25

11:15 EST

Narratives of Artificial Intelligence in a Gendered and Racialized World: Emergence on the African Continentexternal link
Laura Foster (Indiana University), Bram Van Wiele, and Tobias Schönwetter

Discussant: Kanta Dihal (University of Cambridge)

Video recording and conversation on YouTube external link

#AfricanNarrativesAI Twitter conversationexternal link

Fri. 25

13:15 EST

Administrative Law and the Governance of Automated Decision-Making: A Critical Look at Canada’s Directive on Automated Decision-Makingexternal link
Teresa Scassa (University of Ottawa)