The power of artificial Intelligence (AI) systems has been rapidly increasing over the past several years, and these systems are on the cusp of radically changing how knowledge work is accomplished. But there is another area of the economy that is also poised for transformation and rapid growth: robotics. It is not hard to imagine how big an impact combining AI with robotics will have.
As capabilities improve and prices reach consumer levels, robots will become integrated into our daily lives just like laptops, cell phones and other connected devices. While AI-powered robots bring transformative potential in many areas of life, these advancements also introduce significant privacy challenges. This is the first of three parts examining privacy and robotics at home and in public in the U.S.
Current State of AI-Powered Robotics
The integration of AI with robotics has led to remarkable innovations. AI-powered robots, whether humanoid or not, are now capable of performing complex tasks in a variety of applications. For instance, in public settings, robots are used for surveillance, crowd management, delivering products to homes, and even bringing food to diners in restaurants. While in homes, they can assist with chores and provide companionship. In healthcare, robots aid in surgeries and patient care. This only scratches the surface of what will be seen in the near future.
These advancements will lead to increased interactions between humans and machines, and more access by robots and their producers to personal information, including sensitive personal information. So the robotics industry is poised to start facing privacy challenges. AI systems typically require large amounts of data to function effectively, raising concerns about data collection, storage, and use. The potential for misuse of personal information or other non-compliance with privacy laws, whether intentional or accidental, remains a significant concern.
Privacy Implications in Public Settings
Robots in public settings, such as security robots, delivery robots and even surveillance drones, significantly enhance the ability to monitor and manage individuals and crowds. However, they also raise privacy concerns. These robots can collect vast amounts of data, including video and audio recordings and, at close range, data from mobile devices such as through WiFi- and Bluetooth-based tracking, which can be used for surveillance and profiling purposes, exposing people to potential misuse of this data, whether by government agencies or private entities.
Furthermore, with robots in public settings, there are additional security considerations. A robot in public is vulnerable to being physically compromised, whether as a prank or in an intentional attack to obtain data. If data collected by the robot is stored onboard, the data may be vulnerable to exfiltration with physical access to the robot. But even if the data is stored remotely, a malicious third-party may be able to access the data through a physically compromised robot.
Privacy Implications in Homes
Automated devices in the household, such as smart vacuum cleaners and personal assistants, are becoming increasingly common, and many additional home uses for AI-powered robots are on the horizon. These robots often come equipped with cameras, microphones and other sensors that collect data to perform their tasks. However, not surprisingly, data collection in the home can lead to significant privacy issues, including unintended disclosure of sensitive information by homeowners.
The presence of robots in the intimate spaces of a home, like bedrooms and bathrooms, raises concerns about physical privacy. And many people may feel uncomfortable knowing that these devices are constantly monitoring their activities. Even if a homeowner thinks adequate measures are in place, inadvertent or malicious disclosures are still possible, such as an incident where images captured by a robot vacuum cleaner of a female homeowner using the bathroom in her home were leaked online.
Consider, also, issues involving interoperability of robots and other household devices. Once robots and other devices in the home are exchanging data, the device with the weakest privacy or security might leak data it receives from a robot, whether through malicious activity, ineffective security or weak privacy controls. A robot well-suited to collect and safely process sensitive personal information might share it with a device that is less secure in its processing, resulting in unexpected privacy compromises.
In Part 2, we will apply federal and state privacy laws to robots at home and in public.
Andrew Baer is the Chair of, and Christopher Dodson is a partner in, Cozen O’Connor’s Technology, Privacy and Data Security Group.
