Interactions - March/April 2009 - Looking Ahead (Page 50)

ers. An ethical question raised here is related to the fact that, as a person’s life path ( intentionally or accidentally) intersects at some point in time with that of other people, the mirror will also contain data referring to them, compromising their privacy. A possible way to overcome this problem is through a pervasive filtering mechanism, which will be able to anonymize, block, or even erase data recorded by all or selected other Ambient Mirrors. Such a solution may create new problems, since one can foresee that this function can easily be exploited for “stealthing” malevolent actions. Additionally, if someone managed to get control over other people’s filtering mechanisms, they could apply a novel form of censorship that can reach to the extent of virtually erasing all evidence of a person’s existence.

The related potential applications of the Ambient Mirror include all those situations in which personal information needs to be disclosed, such as interpersonal relations and communication, work applications, and medical filing, among others. Furthermore, the mirror could advance the art of autobiography to a new level, since it will allow the “reader” to almost relive the “writer’s” life, experiencing a kind of “living reincarnation.”

But what if the mirror is also used as a piece of evidence, like in a courtroom? Would anyone be able to use fragments of their mirror as a valid testimony? Is there a possibility that someone manipulates the content of your (or someone else’s) mirror for someone else’s favor? Would a third party (the state, the police) be allowed access to anyone’s

mirror, thus materializing part of the Big Brother scenario?

And, since, in our example, the mirror—up to this point—is considered a personal artifact, whose interests should it serve when a conflict arises? Its owner’s or those of the “universal” truth? In other words, would my mirror lie for me? Would it give me away to my boss when I ask for a day off pretending to be sick or to my wife when she asks me where I was last night? And what about all these cases of “white lies” imposed by political correctness, for example, when one asks us if we really liked the food, the dress, the painting, or if we had a good time? Would the mirror become a tool of unprecedented rudeness?

[ 5] Borges, J., L. The Aleph and Other Stories. New York: Penguin Group, 1960.

ultimate surveillance mechanism, which would permanently end the notion of privacy as we know it. Nevertheless, as is the case with any other type of technology, the Ambient Mirror cannot be characterized, per se, as good or bad. Its use by our society will provide the final verdict.

In his afterword to El hacedor (“The Maker”), Jorge Luis Borges wrote: “A man sets out to draw the world. As the years go by, he peoples a space with images of provinces, kingdoms, mountains, bays, ships, islands, fishes, rooms, instruments, stars, horses, and individuals. A short time before he dies, he discovers that the patient labyrinth of lines traces the lineaments of his own face [ 5].”

So, if in Borges’s passage the man discovers in his drawing just “the lineaments of his own face,” what would the same man discover by looking into the Ambient Mirror? The lineaments of his soul?

March + April 2009

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Dimitris Grammenos is the lead interaction designer of the human computer interaction laboratory of ICS-

FORTH, where he heads the lab’s universally accessible games activity. He holds a B.Sc. in computer science and an M.Sc. and Ph.D. in electronic engineering. Grammenos has expertise on interaction design issues in traditional Windows-based environments, as well as in technologically advanced environments, such as virtual and augmented environments, wearable computers, and ambient intelligence environments. He has been involved in several European R&D projects related to design for all and universal access, and has given related lectures, seminars, and tutorials. For more information visit: http://www.ics.forth.gr/hci/people/ dgrammenos.html.

Afterword

In the—not so distant—future, it is quite possible that ambient intelligence technologies will provide scientists with all the components and knowledge required to build a device similar to what is described in this article as an Ambient Mirror, reflecting every trace of human existence. Ideally, this mirror will become a new means of altering human self-perception, as well as that of others, eventually leading to autognosis while also fostering mutual respect and understanding. Furthermore, the mirror may even develop into a kind of “synthetic conscience,” shepherding people when they go astray. Then again, if the mirror is not working or properly used, it could totally distort our view of the world with unpredictable, but unquestionably catastrophic, consequences. Furthermore, the mirror might prove to be the