Algorithms have become increasingly common, and with this development, so have algorithms that approximate human speech. This has introduced new issues with which courts and legislators will have... Show moreAlgorithms have become increasingly common, and with this development, so have algorithms that approximate human speech. This has introduced new issues with which courts and legislators will have to grapple. Courts in the United States have found that search engine results are a form of speech that is protected by the Constitution, and cases in Europe concerning liability for autocomplete suggestions have led to varied results. Beyond these instances, insight into how courts handle algorithmic speech are few and far between.By focusing on three categories of algorithmic speech, defined as curated production, interactive/responsive production, and semiautonomous production, this Article analyzes these various forms of algorithmic speech within the international framework for freedom of expression. After a brief introduction of that framework and a look towards approaches to algorithmic speech in the United States, the Article then examines whether the creators or controllers of different forms of algorithms should be considered content providers or mere intermediaries, the determination of which ultimately has implications for liability, which is also explored. The Article then looks at possible interferences with algorithmic speech, and how such interferences may be examined under the three-part test—particular attention is paid to the balancing of rights and interests at play—in order to answer the question of the extent to which algorithmic speech is worthy of protection under international standards of freedom of expression. Finally, other relevant issues surrounding algorithmic speech are discussed that will have an impact going forward, many of which involve questions of policy and societal values that accompany granting algorithmic speech protection. Show less
A P300-based Brain Computer Interface character speller, also known as P300 speller, has been an important communication pathway, under extensive research, for people who lose motor ability, such... Show moreA P300-based Brain Computer Interface character speller, also known as P300 speller, has been an important communication pathway, under extensive research, for people who lose motor ability, such as patients with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis or spinal-cord injury because a P300 speller allows human-beings to directly spell characters using eye-gazes, thereby building communication between the human brain and a computer. Unfortunately, P300 spellers are still not used in human’s daily life and remain in an experimental stage at research labs. The reason for this situation is that the performance and the efficiency of current P300 spellers are unacceptably low for BCI users in their daily life. Therefore, in this thesis, we have focused our attention on developing high performance and efficient P300 spellers in order to bring P300 spellers into practical use. More specifically, in order to increase the performance of a P300 speller, we have developed methods to increase the character spelling accuracy and the Information Transfer Rate. In order to improve the efficiency of a P300 speller, we have developed methods to reduce the number of sensors needed to acquire EEG signals as well as to reduce the complexity of the classifier used in a P300 speller without losing the performance. Show less
