IISE
NEWSLETTER
Human Control
"The first and most
The first and most important chaotic road environment.
important principle principle is that we must At the same time, however,
Human Safety
Ensuring human safety is another key principle. Isaac Asimov developed his three laws of
robotics, designed to protect humanity, as a defense against the cheap plot device.
Apparently, having robots turn on their creator in what had already become a cliché by the
1950s. While the laws served a fictional purpose initially, they remain an enduring
statement of programming safeguards that still make sense today:
A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come
to harm.
A robot must obey orders given by human beings except where such orders would conflict
with the First Law.
A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with
the First or Second Law.
The basic concept is simple, but real-world issues tend to become more complicated at
the edges of implementation. Self-driving cars once again pose the classic dilemma. If a
robotic car rounds a corner and suddenly comes across a group of school children crossing
the road, does the car continue straight, endangering the children, or swerve into an
obstacle that risks the life of the owner? The right answer is fodder for endless discussion
and debate, but what matters most is that AI systems are developed to handle realistic
scenarios and the consequences of the choices made. AI should be better than humans at
making the right choice in terms of human safety.
Human Well-Being
“Human well-being” means the AI should work on humanity’s behalf, not the other way
around. Machines are supposed to be labor-saving devices, but often we find ourselves
spending endless hours supplying data to algorithms (which is the primary purpose of
social media, at least from the perspective of Facebook and Twitter), or spending long
hours working to be able to afford the latest expensive gadget.
AI systems must also be fed a never-ending stream of data to function effectively, and
this is an area that should require minimal human interaction. AI is best at maintaining
human well-being when such systems take over repetitive tasks with a level of accuracy
and precision only available to systems that are not susceptible to boredom and fatigue.
This is an area where AI can easily fill in for a human weakness.
OCTOBER 2018
Think of the Iron Man suit from the movies of the same name. The suit’s AI system feeds the most relevant information to
Tony Stark so that he can make the ultimate choice about the best course of action.
Combining the AI’s data processing abilities with human judgment is what gives the whole system the ability to perform
better than either AI alone or humans on their own. Such mutual dependence also ensures the AI will never judge human
beings to be obsolete, significantly reducing the chance of a reduction in human safety from a robot-triggered nuclear
holocaust. This approach leaves humans in control, respects human freedom, and leaves you with someone who can
explain the reasoning behind the decisions that were made at each critical step.
Following these principles in AI development will promote AI systems likely to enhance our lives, but at the cost of making
movies more boring.
Joseph Byrum is the chief data scientist at Principal Financial Group. Connect with him on Twitter @ByrumJoseph.
OCTOBER 2018
MISSION
ABOUT IISE
Industrial and systems engineers make things better in any industry
— from automobile manufacturing and aerospace, to healthcare,
To provide knowledge, training, forestry, finance, leisure, and education. The Institute of Industrial
networking opportunities and and Systems Engineers, founded in 1948, helps its members
recognition to enhance the skills improve complex organizations around the world and across
and effectiveness of the industrial industries. Throughout their careers, members turn to IISE for tools
and systems engineering and connections that provide an integrated and systemic
profession and those individuals perspective to business challenges. Solving complex problems is
involved with improving quality our common objective.
and productivity. IISE, the world's largest professional society dedicated solely to
the support of the profession, is an international, nonprofit
association that provides leadership for the application,
education, training, research, and development of industrial and
systems engineering.
VISION
What is industrial and systems
To be the premier organization
engineering? (IISE official definition)
that advances, promotes and
Industrial and systems engineering is concerned with the design,
unites the industrial and systems
improvement and installation of integrated systems of people,
engineering profession
materials, information, equipment and energy. It draws upon
worldwide.
specialized knowledge and skill in the mathematical, physical,
and social sciences together with the principles and methods of
engineering analysis and design, to specify, predict, and evaluate
the results to be obtained from such systems.
IISE is recognized internationally as:
"Global supply
NETWORK DESIGN
chains: Resilience
DECISIONS
is the ability to
Strengthening global supply chains by Chris
withstand change. Gordon
Agility is the ability
Global supply chains are constantly at risk. Natural disasters,
to respond rapidly." political instability, labor shortages … the list goes on. Leading
companies are constantly evaluating how to respond to these
disruptions, but only a few are really prepared to deal with the
impact of trade warfare. With new import tariffs coming into
effect in the United States and retaliatory measures on the rise,
can companies sustain the competitiveness of their supply chain?
Using prescriptive analytics technology can help.
A supply chain network design technology that incorporates prescriptive analytics makes it
easier to model the impact of these scenarios and create contingency plans. So what’s the
problem? Most companies are still using spreadsheets to model their network.
What about best of breed tools? Best of breed or “out of the box” technologies are next in line to spreadsheets,
but several of these technologies can be too cumbersome, too slow and too expensive, especially when they are
dependent on scarce and very specific resources. In many ways, these tools have not evolved much in the past
decades. There are new features and a big increase in computing power, yet network optimization is still just a
richer version of the 1990s experience. Out of the box often fails to accommodate the unique constraints faced
by the business and isn’t rapid and agile enough to actually get out ahead of business change. That’s probably
why 55 percent of respondents in the survey stated that they preferred configurability over standardization.
Pricing best of breed technologies leaves a lot to be desired as well. Some 84 percent of respondents in the
same survey stated that they wanted an affordable network design solution, but only 54 percent said available
tools meet their price expectation.
In other words, very few companies have the right tools to model the effect of trade risks and other
disruptions.
include prescriptive analytics capabilities which allow them to model their network, quickly and easily evaluate
scenarios, and make contingency plans when things change or go wrong;
provide access to the model logic, so they can understand what’s behind the answers;
allow for data clarity and data sharing for other supply chain needs;
do not require the constant intervention of specialists to run; and
provide a realistic path to train and self-enable end (business) users.
Supply chain network design decisions involve hefty investments. With trade risks on the rise, investments and costs will
only increase. Technology is only a piece of the puzzle, but it’s an important one. By embracing tools that help them
prepare for uncertainty and react swiftly to change, supply chain teams will be better positioned to survive this new era of
disruption.
Chris Gordon, vice president of product management at AIMMS, has worked in supply chain consulting and operations
across Europe, the United States and India for more than 25 years. He’s driven dozens of supply chain initiatives in retail,
consumer goods and manufacturing with a heavy focus on leveraging analytics to promote major business change.
OCTOBER 2018
3D PRINTING
3D printing remains a technology for small lots and
unique items. Yes, 3D printers may be integrated into
CNC machines. However, they are a long way from
producing as many items as an injection molded
machine or extruder, much less at a comparable per-unit
price. Work to create 3D printed metal parts and printed
products from other materials is ongoing, but it will be
decades before it will replace mass-production lines for
most items.
OCTOBER 2018
INTERNET OF THINGS
The Internet of Things is simply a level up from the already high
level of automation in many factories. In some regards, the IoT only
extends the “factory” into the broader world, tracking items until
they reach their end use and monitoring them when they return for
rework.
Perhaps the greatest impact of the Internet of Things and masses of
data collected as a result of it will be what we and our creations can
glean from it.
IISE NEWSLETTER OCTOBER ISSUE