Podcast appearances and mentions of Missy Cummings

This week we are joined by Missy Cummings, Director of George Mason University's Autonomy and Robotics Center. Missy walks us through the safety concerns with self driving cars based on your research, talks about the definition of 'safe enough', how laughable remote operations are and lack of functional safety testing.This episode underscores the urgent need for both state and federal regulations to improve safety standards and accountability for autonomous vehicles.Linkshttps://ieeexplore.ieee.org/stamp/stamp.jsp?tp=&arnumber=10778107https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2024/12/30/waymo-pedestrians-robotaxi-crosswalks/https://www.autosafety.org/support-us/https://apnews.com/article/autonomous-vehicles-safety-guidelines-voluntary-nhtsa-8fec0adfb3580eddbef92f4b32a0347d

Officials say the invasive Asian giant hornet, with its menacing nickname, has been eradicated from the United States. Also, with drone sightings in the news, we take a look at the current laws and regulations around hobby and commercial drone operation.Farewell, Murder Hornet, We Hardly Knew YouOver the past few years many words have been written about an invasive insect known casually as the “murder hornet”—more formally, the Asian giant hornet, or northern giant hornet. But this week, the USDA and the Washington State Department of Agriculture announced that the insect has been eradicated in the United States. Our long national nightmare is over.Science journalist Maggie Koerth joins Ira to talk about the entomology news, plus other stories from the week in science, including debate over how viruses should be named, the complicated relationship between science and law in the courtroom, and work tracing health signs—through earwax.What FAA Regulations Tell Us About Mysterious Drone SightingsIt's been all over the news the last few weeks: a slew of drone sightings in New Jersey and elsewhere on the East Coast, starting in mid-November. Federal authorities and President Biden have said that these drones don't appear to be a threat to public safety, and that the sightings have been a mix of legal drones, airplanes, and helicopters. But questions and concerns remain, particularly among people who live in these areas. And just this week, the Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) banned most drones from flying over nearly two dozen New Jersey towns.Dr. Missy Cummings, professor and director of George Mason University's Autonomy and Robotics Center in Fairfax, Virginia, has worked on drone technology extensively over the years. She agrees with what federal authorities have said: that these drones sightings are likely legal drones and aircraft, with some prankster drone owners mixed in.Transcripts for each segment will be available after the show airs on sciencefriday.com. Subscribe to this podcast. Plus, to stay updated on all things science, sign up for Science Friday's newsletters.

Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland has announced she's resigning from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s cabinet hours before she was set to table the fall economic update. Lori Turnbull, Professor of Political Science at Dalhousie University joins guest host Tim Powers to discuss. On todays show: Listen to Vassy's full conversation with Bill Morneau, Former Finance Minister as they discuss whether or not there will be consequences if the deficit is above the projected $40.1 billion. Missy Cummings, one of the Navy’s first female fighter pilots, Professor and Director of Mason Autonomy and Robotics Center joins guest host Tim Powers to discuss the mysterious drones reported over the East Coast. The Daily Debrief Panel with Zain Velji and Tom Mulcair. Colton Praill, CTV National News Correspondent joins guest host Tim Powers to discuss where things stand as we enter the lockup for the fall economic statement.

Thursday, November 28th, 2024Today, Elon Musk is targeting federal civil servants by name on Twitter; Jim Comer's star witness Alexander Smirnov is hit with a superseding indictment; Ohio Governor Mike DeWine signs a bigoted bathroom bill into law; the DOGE wants to eliminate Elizabeth Warren's Consumer Financial Protection Bureau; and Allison delivers your Good News.Thank you AG1Every week of November, AG1 is running a special Black Friday offer for a free gift with your first subscription, in addition to the Welcome Kit with Vitamin D3K2. Check it out at DrinkAG1.com/dailybeans.Stories:Elon Musk wants to ‘delete' federal financial watchdog as ‘DOGE' begins work (Tony Romm | The Washington Post)Elon Musk publicized the names of government employees he wants to cut. It's terrifying federal workers (Hadas Gold and Rene Marsh | CNN)Ohio governor signs bill limiting bathroom use by transgender students (Julie Carr Smyth and Geoff Mulvihill | AP | Dayton Daily News)Ex-FBI informant charged with lies at 'heart' of Biden impeachment effort indicted on new tax charges (Ryan J. Reilly | NBC News)Have some good news; a confession; or a correction to share?Good News & Confessions - The Daily Beanshttps://www.dailybeanspod.com/confessional/From The Good NewsDO YOU HAVE WHAT IT TAKES TO  EVEREST? (29029everesting.com)The Cat Ball Freakin' Amazing Cat Beds (thecatball.com) Check out other MSW Media podcastshttps://mswmedia.com/shows/Subscribe for free to MuellerSheWrote on Substackhttps://muellershewrote.substack.comFollow AG and Dana on Social MediaDr. Allison Gill Substack|Muellershewrote, Twitter|@MuellerSheWrote, Threads|@muellershewrote, TikTok|@muellershewrote, IG|muellershewroteDana GoldbergTwitter|@DGComedy, IG|dgcomedy, facebook|dgcomedy, IG|dgcomedy, danagoldberg.comHave some good news; a confession; or a correction to share?Good News & Confessions - The Daily Beanshttps://www.dailybeanspod.com/confessional/ Listener Survey:http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=shortFollow the Podcast on Apple:The Daily Beans on Apple PodcastsWant to support the show and get it ad-free and early?Supercasthttps://dailybeans.supercast.com/Patreon https://patreon.com/thedailybeansOr subscribe on Apple Podcasts with our affiliate linkThe Daily Beans on Apple Podcasts

Topics:Kudos to NHTSA for NCAP improvements;Frowns to Ford for recalls;New DOT secretary;Will Washington rubber stamp all of Elon's dreams?Tesla drivers are dangerous;Tesla's will trap you in a fire;Renewable natural gas explained;Recall roundup;Links:https://apnews.com/article/automobile-safety-nhtsa-crash-pedestrian-2fc22f755c51bfe9bb668f90e8ee8956https://www.freep.com/story/money/cars/2024/11/16/nhtsa-pedestrian-safety-rule-vehicle-design-head-protection/76094618007/https://apnews.com/article/trump-duffy-cabinet-transportation-secretary-c465bbc516b5f898233f86bee31a7a45https://www.freep.com/story/news/investigations/2024/11/14/nhtsa-ford-vehicle-recall-rules-penalty/76293055007/https://jalopnik.com/teslas-are-the-most-fatal-cars-on-the-road-study-finds-1851700691https://philkoopman.substack.com/p/people-are-still-being-burned-alivehttps://www.catf.us/resource/flaring-accountability/https://www.nvidia.com/en-us/self-driving-cars/https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Missy-Cummings/publication/385936888_Identifying_Research_Gaps_through_Self-Driving_Car_Data_Analysis/links/673c687ab903016a31c41bfb/Identifying-Research-Gaps-through-Self-Driving-Car-Data-Analysis.pdfhttps://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2024/RCLRPT-24V843-7446.PDFhttps://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2024/RCLRPT-24V839-5482.PDFhttps://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2024/RCLRPT-24V852-6661.PDF

There's always risk at the cutting edge of technology. Driverless cars are awesome -- but can we rely on the tech? Missy Cummings joins Vasant Dhar in episode 89 of Brave New World to share her insights on why we need to proceed with caution. Also check out: 1. Missy Cummings on LinkedIn, Wikipedia, GMU and Google Scholar. 2. California Bans GM's Cruise Robotaxis After Near-Fatal Pedestrian Accident -- Justin Banner. 3. Setbacks and Prospects for Autonomous Vehicles -- Henry Petroski. 4. Joshua Brown, Who Died in Self-Driving Accident, Tested Limits of His Tesla -- Rachel Abrams & Annalyn Kurtz. Check out Vasant Dhar's newsletter on Substack. Subscription is free!

Former fighter pilot and NHTSA consultant, now professor at George Mason University, the one and only Missy Cummings returns to The Autonocast to discuss the latest issues in driver assistance and autonomous driving safety, including her work at the auto safety regulator.

What's driving the autonomous vehicle push? Missy Cummings of George Mason University thinks Silicon Valley is partly to blame but predicts a serving of humble pie in the not-so-distant future. Also, you're lining up another load, and the broker asks for your CDL. But don't do it – it's a scam. This one has the potential to ruin any trucking businesses that fall prey. We'll discuss some of those recent scams and more. And the fall shipping season is getting closer. Coming up in today's Market Update, we'll find out if DAT has seen any signs of freight picking up during the last quarter. 0:00 – Newscast 10:06 – Autonomous vehicle makers could be headed for a reckoning 24:50 – Scam catching more truckers 39:18 – Will freight pick up in the fourth quarter?

As Detroit introduces a self-driving car program, scholars Missy Cummings and Cliff Winston join Detroit Today to discuss the challenges and opportunities that autonomous vehicles provide Detroiters and Americans writ large.

In this week's episode, Chris talks with Missy Cummings, professor and the director of George Mason University's Autonomy and Robotics Center.Missy spent eleven years (1988–1999) as a naval officer and military pilot and was one of the United States Navy's first female fighter pilots, flying an F/A-18 Hornet. In October 2021, the Biden administration named Cummings as a new senior advisor for safety at the National National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Her appointment to the NHTSA was met with criticism from Tesla's CEO Elon Musk and personal harassment and death threats from Tesla advocates in response to her previous statements critical of Tesla. Missy's  research interests include artificial intelligence, human-robot interaction and the socio-ethical impact of technology. Cummings has written on the brittleness of machine learning and future applications for drones. In addition, she has spoken critically of the safety of Tesla's Full Self-Driving Capability surrounding its reliance on computer vision.

Tech regulation has often disappointed. Automation expert Missy Cummings hopes a course to teach policymakers about artificial intelligence can help. Read this story here.

We've been promised wide-scale driverless cars for more than a decade, but a true driverless experience still remains out of reach. It turns out that taking humans out of the loop is putting everyone on the road at risk. Host Gary Marcus talks to Cade Metz, a tech reporter for The New York Times and Dr. Missy Cummings, former senior safety advisor to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, to explore requirements that would make self-driving cars reliable and secure for everyone. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This and all episodes at: https://aiandyou.net/ .   If you want straight talk about today's overheated AI in robotics applications, you would want someone as direct as, say, an F-18 pilot. And that's what we've got, in Missy Cummings, one of the US Navy's first female fighter pilots (yes, that Top Gun) and now professor researching AI in safety-critical systems at George Mason University and director of Duke University's Humans and Autonomy Laboratory. She recently spent a year as Safety Advisor at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration where she made some very candid statements about Tesla. In part 2 of our interview, hear what Missy thinks about Tesla, ChatGPT, and Boston Dynamics; the truth behind that dogfighting AI, the possibility of complete automation of air travel, how AI would handle air emergencies, and more.  All this plus our usual look at today's AI headlines. Transcript and URLs referenced at HumanCusp Blog.        

This and all episodes at: https://aiandyou.net/ .   If you want straight talk about today's overheated AI in robotics applications, you would want someone as direct as, say, an F-18 pilot. And that's what we've got, in Missy Cummings, one of the US Navy's first female fighter pilots (yes, that Top Gun) and now professor researching AI in safety-critical systems at George Mason University and director of Duke University's Humans and Autonomy Laboratory. She recently spent a year as Safety Advisor at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration where she made some very candid statements about Tesla. From aircraft safety to the true performance and economics of autonomous vehicles, Missy gives us her unvarnished views in this first half of an unmissable interview (see what I did there?). All this plus our usual look at today's AI headlines. Transcript and URLs referenced at HumanCusp Blog.        

She was among the first female fighter pilots in the Navy, was recently a senior NHTSA safety advisor, and is a professor of engineering and computer science. Missy Cummings is worried that ADAS technology is causing more people to speed. What to do? Dr. Cummings joins Alain and Fred to discuss. Plus the latest from Zoox, Tesla and more. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/smartdrivingcars/support

Missy Cummings, one of the country's first female fighter pilots and director of George Mason University's Autonomy and Robotics Center, calls herself a tech futurist, charged with making tech work better and safer. In a conversation with Mason President Gregory Washington, Cummings is unflinching in her critique of AI's strengths, weaknesses and shortcomings, as well as that of humans. There is a lot to like about AI, Cummings says, but she calls out bad tech where she sees it, including in the vision systems of self-driving cars and Tesla's Autopilot. There's also a lot to like, Cummings says, about Mason's new Fuse building on its Mason Square Campus. When open in 2025, the building will will house R&D labs, corporate innovation centers, incubators, accelerators which will help advance the digital innovation goals of university, industry and community innovators.

The new Inflation Reduction Act is here, and it's totally going to fix climate change with . . . tax breaks for electric cars. There's more news about electric vehicles to discuss, plus Conner was right about street racing in Chicago (see episodes 4 and 5).Main topic at 40:06Email us with tips, stories, and unhinged rants: carsandcomrades@gmail.com //Our social media links etc: www.linktr.ee/CarsAndComrades //Music by King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard: www.kinggizzardandthelizardwizard.com/polygondwanaland //Links/Sources:https://www.treehugger.com/biden-ira-law-electric-vehicles-6499790https://www.theverge.com/2022/8/8/23296678/ev-tax-credit-qualify-battery-supply-chain-chinahttps://t4america.org/2022/01/25/transit-funding-infrastructure-bill/https://stnonline.com/special-reports/inflation-reduction-act-offers-latest-school-bus-electrification-funding-opportunities/https://www.nytimes.com/2022/08/24/climate/california-gas-cars-emissions.htmlhttps://www.thedrive.com/news/heres-how-the-electric-dodge-charger-concepts-exhaust-is-as-loud-as-a-hellcat https://chicago.suntimes.com/2022/8/25/23311989/car-drifting-takeover-meet-carmeet-drag-racing-city-council-impound-stunt-drivingThe Ralph Nader podcast on Tesla FSD: https://www.ralphnaderradiohour.com/self-driving-tesla-it-will-try-to-kill-you/Missy Cummings on The Smoking Tire podcast: https://shows.acast.com/the-smoking-tire-podcast/episodes/611d6e67f2c38d00121c9b82

From March 3, 2012: Missy Cummings, Director of the Humans and Automation Laboratory and a professor of Aeronautics and Astronautics at MIT, sat down with Ritika Singh for the fifth episode of the Lawfare Podcast to talk about robots on our battlefields.Cummings is a bit of a force of nature. In addition to designing unmanned weapons systems, she was one of the Navy's first female fighter pilots—an experience she chronicles in her book “Hornet's Nest.” There are currently around 20,000 robots deployed in U.S. theaters of operation. These robots, which are getting cheaper and easier to make, are characterized by increasing capability and increasing miniaturization. Missy and Ritika discussed the many issues to which these developments give rise, as well as where the science and engineering in weapons systems is likely to go in the future.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/lawfare. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Renowned authority in human-technology interactions and Presidential appointee https://www.linkedin.com/in/missy-cummings-7681588b/ (Prof. Missy Cummings) of Duke University, spoke to the importance of understanding human motivation and behavior to proactively predict and detect deception. In a very candid and engaging conversation, Prof. Cummings expressed her concern about cybersecurity as a field not receiving the necessary scientific recognition and support. "Cybersecurity is not like changing the oil of your car, it is its own science," she said while discussing the various aspects of cybersecurity knowledge creation and dissemination. She also talks about her class on the Human Element in Cybersecurity and how she draws from various scientific knowledge bases (such as cognitive science, systems theory, game theory, and queuing theory) to provide a rich learning experience. Time Stamps 00:46 How does your research on human safety in automation and robotics inform cybersecurity research? 04:28 How do human factors such as behavioral traits and motivations influence cybersecurity training effectiveness? 08:46 How do you go about analyzing and measuring unintentional human errors and malicious behavior? 13:29 As educators, what's your opinion on how widespread cybersecurity education should be? Who all should we be reaching out to as educators, as trainers? 17:19 So I worry more about the organizations which are resource-constrained and to what extent they are making those fearless calls of finding the right balance between pursuing their organizational goals and mission without compromising on having a certain level of cybersecurity readiness. Any reactions thoughts to that? 22:21 Cybersecurity is a strategic competency. It's a competency that organizations need to develop, and master over a period of time, if they want to thrive in the years to come. Thoughts reactions? 36:41 I wonder if we need regulations like Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX) Act to get people to comply, organizations to comply with cybersecurity. What do you think? 41:56 What are you trying to instill in students who take your class? 43:11 Besides regulation, what would it take for top management to recognize cybersecurity to be a key issue? 46:08 Any final thoughts? Memorable Missy Cummings Quotes "You want to keep your friends close, but your enemies closer." "If we can figure out how to get in the minds of the people who are doing the deceiving, the hacking, that is another way to mitigate cybersecurity attacks." "If you can actually develop a good model of a human's engagement in their everyday work practices, you can actually figure out when is the right time to deceive them." "Cybersecurity is a living process, it's not just a check in the box." "We're just missing a core recognition at universities that cybersecurity is not like changing the oil of your car, it is its own science." "A lot of companies are not going to get at least good enough cybersecurity practices unless you force their hand." "I think the number one change that needs to happen, is for government, industry, and academia to recognize that like COVID, cybersecurity is here to stay. And the longer you keep ignoring it, the worse it's going to get." "Systems-level thinking and cybersecurity, to me, they're one and the same." Connect with Host Dr. Dave Chatterjee and Subscribe to the Podcast Please subscribe to the podcast so you don't miss any new episodes! And please leave the show a rating if you like what you hear. New episodes release every two weeks. Connect with Dr. Chatterjee on these platforms: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dchatte/ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/dchatte/ ) Website: https://dchatte.com/ (https://dchatte.com/) Cybersecurity Readiness Book: https://www.amazon.com/Cybersecurity-Readiness-Holistic-High-Performance-Approach/dp/1071837338...

➤ Elon Musk responds to Tesla bear case ➤ Tesla reportedly meets with buy-side investors, shares details on Giga Berlin and Giga Texas ➤ NHTSA in contact with Tesla in regard to some screen functionality while driving ➤ China Passenger Car Association releases year-to-date by model sales ➤ Tesla partners with Genex on Australian battery project ➤ Missy Cummings back in the news ➤ Volkswagen and Herbert Diess resolve recent uncertainty Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/teslapodcast Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tesladailypodcast Tesla Referral: https://ts.la/robert47283 Plaid producer Who Why Executive producer Jeremy Cooke Executive producer Troy Cherasaro Executive producer Andre/Maria Kent Executive producer Jessie Chimni Executive producer Jeffrey Yu Executive producer Michael Pastrone Executive producer Richard Del Maestro Executive producer John Beans Music by Evan Schaeffer Disclosure: Rob Maurer is long TSLA stock & derivatives

Tesla's confrontation with US auto safety regulators continues to ratchet up, as the automaker pulled a stealth OTA recall of an Autopilot issue that was under active NHTSA investigation. Meanwhile, the respected and outspoken critic of Autopilot safety (among many other topics) Missy Cummings was announced as special safety advisor to NHTSA, prompting an online harassment campaign by Tesla fans. The gang sorts through these developments, while leaving a little time for Alex to report on the annual Self Racing Cars trackday and for Ed to share an NTSB job listing.

In this episode of the Artificial Intelligence and Equality Initiative podcast, Senior Fellows Anja Kaspersen and Wendell Wallach are joined by former U.S. Navy pilot Mary “Missy” Cummings, a professor at Duke University, director of the school's Humans and Autonomy Lab, and a world leading researcher in human-autonomous system collaboration and robotics. The conversation touches upon the maturity of current AI systems applications and key conundrums in AI research to make sure humans are not a design afterthought.   

In this episode of the Artificial Intelligence and Equality Initiative podcast, Senior Fellows Anja Kaspersen and Wendell Wallach are joined by former U.S. Navy pilot Mary “Missy” Cummings, a professor at Duke University, director of the school's Humans and Autonomy Lab, and a world leading researcher in human-autonomous system collaboration and robotics. The conversation touches upon the maturity of current AI systems applications and key conundrums in AI research to make sure humans are not a design afterthought.   

In this episode of the McKinsey Global Institute's Forward Thinking podcast, co-host Michael Chui speaks with Mary “Missy” Cummings, one of the first female fighter pilots in the US Navy and now a professor in the Duke University Pratt School of Engineering and the Duke Institute for Brain Sciences, as well as the director of Duke's Humans and Autonomy Laboratory. Cummings talks about her life as a fighter pilot and her journey into automation and robotics. She also answers questions like: • What are your reflections on diversity across different fields? • What are some interesting developments you're seeing in the automation of vehicles? • Are there things that car designers should be learning from the aerospace industry, or vice versa, as they're starting to implement more levels of automated technology and driver assistance? • What is the perfect use case for automation? • What excites you most about advances in technology? This conversation was recorded in August 2021. To read a transcript of this episode, visit: https://mck.co/missycummings Follow @McKinsey_MGI on Twitter and the McKinsey Global Institute on LinkedIn for more.See www.mckinsey.com/privacy-policy for privacy information

In this episode of the McKinsey Global Institute's Forward Thinking podcast, co-host Michael Chui speaks with Mary “Missy” Cummings, one of the first female fighter pilots in the US Navy and now a professor in the Duke University Pratt School of Engineering and the Duke Institute for Brain Sciences, as well as the director of Duke's Humans and Autonomy Laboratory. Cummings talks about her life as a fighter pilot and her journey into automation and robotics. She also answers questions like: • What are your reflections on diversity across different fields? • What are some interesting developments you're seeing in the automation of vehicles? • Are there things that car designers should be learning from the aerospace industry, or vice versa, as they're starting to implement more levels of automated technology and driver assistance? • What is the perfect use case for automation? • What excites you most about advances in technology? This conversation was recorded in August 2021. To read a transcript of this episode, visit: https://mck.co/missycummings Follow @McKinsey_MGI on Twitter and the McKinsey Global Institute on LinkedIn for more. Read more > Listen to the podcast (duration: 30:17) >

Who better to talk to about autonomous cars than a professor of the subject? Missy Cummings is currently a Professor in the Duke University Pratt School of Engineering, the Duke Institute of Brain Sciences, and is the director of the Humans and Autonomy Laboratory and Duke Robotics. Her research interests include human-unmanned vehicle interaction, human-autonomous system collaboration, human-systems engineering, public policy implications of unmanned vehicles, and the ethical and social impact of technology.Read her paper here: https://hal.pratt.duke.edu/sites/hal.pratt.duke.edu/files/u39/2020-min.pdfhttps://pratt.duke.edu/faculty/missy-cummings *There's an edit in the middle of the show because her connection froze for a few minutes.Listeners of The Smoking Tire Podcast receive 30% off Keeper Unlimited and Family plans by using promo code SMOKINGTIRE30 at checkout or visiting http://www.keeper.io/smokingtire JB Weld is available at https://www.JBWeld.com, Walmart, Amazon, Home Depot, Lowe's, Autozone, Advanced Auto Parts, NAPA, O'Reilly, Michael's, and more.Go to http://www.AutoTempest.com/tst to learn more.

Ravi Kumar S., President, Infosys, in conversation with Prof. Missy Cummings, Director of Duke University's Humans & Autonomy Laboratory, discussing the implementation of AI and its impact on communities.

Rethinking the maturity of artificial intelligence in safety-critical settings, Lethal Autonomous Weapons: Meaningful human control or meaningful human certification?, and Regulating Safety-Critical Autonomous Systems: Past, Present, and Future Perspectives. Prof. Missy Cummings who is Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Duke University, and the director of the Humans and Autonomy Laboratory and Duke Robotics. Her research interests include human-unmanned vehicle interaction, human-autonomous system collaboration, human-systems engineering, public policy implications of unmanned vehicles, and the ethical and social impact of technology. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/scientificsense/message

Tesla and other automakers have convinced the public that fully automated vehicles are just around the corner. But what if … they aren't? Dr. Missy Cummings, AI researcher and director of the Humans and Autonomy Laboratory at Duke, joins Adam to detail the massive gap between Silicon Valley's promises and the technology's limitations, and explain the real benefits that might come when we use AI to enhance human capability rather than replace us.

In episode thirteen of The Robot Brains Podcast we meet Mary "Missy" Cummings, former US Airforce fighter pilot and Professor at the Duke University Pratt School of Engineering. Missy tells us her incredible story moving from the theatre of war to the laboratories of computer sciences and explains how she became one of the chief proponents in the movement to ensure AI-to-human (like autonomous vehicles) interactions have stricter safety controls. During her chat with our host Pieter Abbeel, Missy also talks about her non-feud feud with Elon Musk and Tesla's autonomous vehicles, the role of AI and robotics in the military and how AI robots need to be built with human-centric safety controls. Host: Pieter Abbeel | Executive Producers: Ricardo Reyes & Henry Tobias Jones | Audio Production: Kieron Matthew Banerji | Title Music: Alejandro Del Pozo See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Companies like Tesla have been very effective in creating a perception amongst the public that the self-driving car industry is heading a positive direction. But in reality, will cars ever be able to fully drive themselves? Missy Cummings, director of the Humans and Autonomy Laboratory at Duke University, thinks not. In an interview pointedly titled “Self-driving cars might never be able to drive themselves,” she makes the argument that there are problems with the so-called “deep learning” that is requisite to support fully autonomous vehicles. What often appear to be self-driving cars are actually being monitored by a team of humans—and at that point, the driver may as well just be operating the vehicle themselves. And at the end of the day, do we actually need self-driving cars? Are they a solution looking for a problem—or perhaps the wrong solution for problems (traffic deaths, traffic congestion, etc.) that could be solved in better, easier ways? This week on Upzoned, host Abby Kinney and regular cohost Chuck Marohn “upzone” the conversation about self-driving cars; i.e., they examine it through the Strong Towns lens. They discuss whether or not such technology could truly address all of the sticky fiscal and socioeconomic implications that have been derived from building a world for cars. Moreover, has our fixation on automated vehicles sidelined, or even stifled, conversations about other solutions that could more immediately improve people's lives? Then, in the downzone, Chuck's daughter has presented her own solution for our faulty transportation system, and Abby got to attend a local hot air balloon event. Additional Show Notes “Self-driving cars might never be able to drive themselves,” hosted by Molly Wood, Marketplace Tech (May 2021) Abby Kinney (Twitter) Charles Marohn (Twitter) Theme Music by Kemet the Phantom (Soundcloud) Cover image via Unsplash

 Dr. Mary "Missy" Cummings, is a Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, at the Pratt School of Engineering, at Duke University, the Duke Institute of Brain Sciences, and is the Director of the Humans and Autonomy Laboratory and Duke Robotics. Dr. Cummings received her B.S. in Mathematics from the US Naval Academy in 1988, her M.S. in Space Systems Engineering from the Naval Postgraduate School in 1994, and her Ph.D. in Systems Engineering from the University of Virginia in 2004. Dr.. Cummings was one of the Navy's first female fighter pilots earning the rank of lieutenant and serving as naval officer and military pilot from 1988-1999. Dr. Cummings research interests include human-unmanned vehicle interaction, human-autonomous system collaboration, human-systems engineering, public policy implications of unmanned vehicles, and the ethical and social impact of technology. Dr. Cummings is an American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) Fellow, a member of their Board of Trustees, the Defense Innovation Advisory Board, and Veoneer, Inc. Board of Directors. Dr. Cummings previously served as an instructor for the U.S. Navy at Pennsylvania State University, an assistant professor at Virginia Tech in their Engineering Fundamentals Division, and an associate professor of Aeronautics and Astronautics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dr. Cummings is also an accomplished author with her book Hornet's Nest: The Experiences of One of the Navy's First Female Fighter Pilots. 

The California Department of Motor Vehicles said this week it’s reviewing whether Tesla is telling people that its cars are self-driving when, legally speaking, they’re not. This follows fatal crashes that may have involved its Autopilot feature. Tesla advertises a “Full Self-Driving upgrade option.” One man has been busted in Teslas more than once for reckless driving. He hangs out in the backseat and steers with his feet. Meanwhile, no cars are fully self-driving yet. “Marketplace Tech” host Molly Wood speaks with Missy Cummings, the director of the Humans and Autonomy Laboratory at Duke University. She says the so-called deep learning that cars need to see the road around them doesn’t actually learn. Cheers to making it through this year! Donate today and get our new Mason Jar Mug and stock market-inspired drink recipes: marketplace.org/givetech

The California Department of Motor Vehicles said this week it’s reviewing whether Tesla is telling people that its cars are self-driving when, legally speaking, they’re not. This follows fatal crashes that may have involved its Autopilot feature. Tesla advertises a “Full Self-Driving upgrade option.” One man has been busted in Teslas more than once for reckless driving. He hangs out in the backseat and steers with his feet. Meanwhile, no cars are fully self-driving yet. “Marketplace Tech” host Molly Wood speaks with Missy Cummings, the director of the Humans and Autonomy Laboratory at Duke University. She says the so-called deep learning that cars need to see the road around them doesn’t actually learn. Cheers to making it through this year! Donate today and get our new Mason Jar Mug and stock market-inspired drink recipes: marketplace.org/givetech

The California Department of Motor Vehicles said this week it’s reviewing whether Tesla is telling people that its cars are self-driving when, legally speaking, they’re not. This follows fatal crashes that may have involved its Autopilot feature. Tesla advertises a “Full Self-Driving upgrade option.” One man has been busted in Teslas more than once for reckless driving. He hangs out in the backseat and steers with his feet. Meanwhile, no cars are fully self-driving yet. “Marketplace Tech” host Molly Wood speaks with Missy Cummings, the director of the Humans and Autonomy Laboratory at Duke University. She says the so-called deep learning that cars need to see the road around them doesn’t actually learn. Cheers to making it through this year! Donate today and get our new Mason Jar Mug and stock market-inspired drink recipes: marketplace.org/givetech

The California Department of Motor Vehicles said this week it’s reviewing whether Tesla is telling people that its cars are self-driving when, legally speaking, they’re not. This follows fatal crashes that may have involved its Autopilot feature. Tesla advertises a “Full Self-Driving upgrade option.” One man has been busted in Teslas more than once for reckless driving. He hangs out in the backseat and steers with his feet. Meanwhile, no cars are fully self-driving yet. “Marketplace Tech” host Molly Wood speaks with Missy Cummings, the director of the Humans and Autonomy Laboratory at Duke University. She says the so-called deep learning that cars need to see the road around them doesn’t actually learn. Cheers to making it through this year! Donate today and get our new Mason Jar Mug and stock market-inspired drink recipes: marketplace.org/givetech

Date: 04/08/2021 Show Description: Mary "Missy" Cummings received her B.S. in Mathematics from the US Naval Academy in 1988, her M.S. in Space Systems Engineering from the Naval Postgraduate School in 1994, and her Ph.D. in Systems Engineering from the University of Virginia in 2004. A naval officer and military pilot from 1988-1999, she was one of the Navy's first female fighter pilots. Cummings is currently a Professor at the Duke University Pratt School of Engineering, the Duke Institute of Brain Sciences, and is the director of the Humans and Autonomy Laboratory and Duke Robotics. Her research interests include human-unmanned vehicle interaction, human-autonomous system collaboration, human-systems engineering, public policy implications of unmanned vehicles, and the ethical and social impact of technology. Where to find Missy: Duke Pratt School of Engineering Twitter: @missy_cummings LinkedIn Learn more about NDM: NaturalisticDecisionMaking.org Journal of Cognitive Engineering and Decision Making Where to find hosts Brian Moon and Laura Militello: Brian's website Brian's LinkedIn Brian's Twitter Laura's website Laura's LinkedIn Laura's Twitter

AI is a hot topic and the world is a buzz with visions of Skynet. But what is the real AI play? Dr. Missy Cummings, one of the nation's leading voices on AI and autonomy, separates fact from fiction and asserts an AI vision to revolutionize work and the human experience.

This week’s podcast: Automakers are beginning to introduce more safety features that can temporarily take over for drivers, and gradually more and more vehicles will be able to drive themselves. However, there’s little clarity for drivers what each feature actually does, when, and under what circumstances. When it isn’t clear who’s responsible – the driver or the car – that’s called “mode confusion.” It’s well known to military aviators, but to hardly anyone else. We talk with former Navy fighter pilot, engineer, and autonomous systems expert Missy Cummings about the risks to motorists if automakers fail to plan for mode confusion.

Our conversation with Dr. Missy Cummings, Director of Duke's Humans and Autonomy Lab and Duke Robotics. She talks about her experiences serving as one of the U.S. Navy's first female fighter pilots, and how her experiences witnessing the tragedy that resulted from the failure of autonomous systems, coupled with her involvement in the policy sphere as a member of the Defense Innovation Board, has influenced her career as a researcher.

Missy Cummings, a professor of engineering at Duke University, discusses her time as a fighter pilot, the role of safety drivers in AV testing and her thoughts on the levels of autonomous driving.

“We’re not even close to developing fully driverless cars,” urges Duke University professor Missy Cummings, a former fighter pilot and the director of the Humans and Autonomy Lab at Duke. She explores where automation currently is and paints a picture of the future with humans as integral parts of autonomous systems.

How do we decide what technology to adopt? Is it pure dollars and sense? How do we decide what technology to trust...and what to trust it with? Join us for a deeper dive into the psychology of tech with our four guests: former U.S. Navy pilot Dr. Missy Cummings, now of Duke University; Dr. Julian Sanchez of John Deere; and farmers Larry Reichenberger and Dean Houghton. 

Missy Cummings is on the forefront of drone and driverless technology as a consultant and director of the Duke University Humans and Autonomy Laboratory. We asked her about the future of robotic-driving technology — from planes to trains to, yes, automobiles — and were a little surprised by her answer. The good news, though: Traffic will probably get better.

The first pedestrian killed by a car in the western hemisphere was on New York’s Upper West Side in 1899.  One newspaper warned that “the automobile has tasted blood.” Today, driverless cars present their own mix of technological promise and potential danger. Can the reaction to that 1899 pedestrian tragedy help us navigate current arguments about safety, blame, commerce, and public space? Guests include: Missy Cummings, Navy fighter pilot and head of the Duke Humans and Autonomy Lab. This episode is brought to you by the following advertisers: Comcast Business, go beyond fast. American Express, don’t live life without it.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The first pedestrian killed by a car in the western hemisphere was on New York’s Upper West Side in 1899. One newspaper warned that “the automobile has tasted blood.” Today, driverless cars present their own mix of technological promise and potential danger. Can the reaction to that 1899 pedestrian tragedy help us navigate current arguments about safety, blame, commerce, and public space? Guests include: Missy Cummings, Navy fighter pilot and head of the Duke Humans and Autonomy Lab. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The first pedestrian killed by a car in the western hemisphere was on New York’s Upper West Side in 1899.  One newspaper warned that “the automobile has tasted blood.” Today, driverless cars present their own mix of technological promise and potential danger. Can the reaction to that 1899 pedestrian tragedy help us navigate current arguments about safety, blame, commerce, and public space? Guests include: Missy Cummings, Navy fighter pilot and head of the Duke Humans and Autonomy Lab. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, I’m joined by Missy Cummings, head of Duke University’s Humans and Autonomy Lab and professor in the department of mechanical engineering. In addition to being an accomplished researcher, Missy also became one of the first female fighter pilots in the US Navy following the repeal of the Combat Exclusion Policy in 1993. We discuss Missy’s research into the infrastructural and operational challenges presented by autonomous vehicles, including cars, drones and unmanned aircraft. We also cover trust, explainability, and interactions between humans and AV systems. This was an awesome interview and i'm glad we’re able to bring it to you! The notes for this show can be found at twimlai.com/talk/128.

  In the second episode of Futuropolis, the podcast that explores what everyday life will be like in the future, we’re tackling your daily commute. Sitting in traffic doesn’t have to be stressful and frustrating. In the future, you may be able to lean back and relax while your car watches the road for you.   We’ve been promised autonomous cars for what seems like forever—and our archives have proof. In 1961, we predicted that cars would be directed by a punched tape so you could sleep behind the wheel. And in 1967, we anticipated you could twirl a dial on a car’s dashboard, set it to your destination, and then sit back to read the morning paper on the way to work. But maybe this time it’s for real. To find out, we talked to Missy Cummings, the director of Duke’s Humans and Autonomy Lab; Bryant Walker Smith, a law professor at South Carolina University who specializes in self-driving vehicles; and futurist Glen Hiemstra. And while we may not be quite ready to hand over the reins—er, steering wheel—we’d gladly take the opportunity to nap, read a book, or even get in a workout while the car drives itself.   Futuropolis is a biweekly podcast on the Panoply network. Tune in every other Wednesday for more sneak peeks at the future. This week's episode is sponsored by Warby Parker, a new concept in eyewear. Go to warbyparker.com/future to get free 3-day shipping on your new pair of glasses.

Dealing with boredom Astrid: Hello I'm Astrid. Welcome to VOE school talk show. I'm joined today by Helen. Hello Helen. Helen: Hi Astrid. You know, I'm happy you called me to present this programme with you because I was there by my desk feeling a bit bored (yawns loudly). Astrid: Okay. Let's make this a programme all about boredom, shall we? And I'll start by stimulating your imagination. Helen: Thank you, but how are you going to make me excited and interested in something, Astrid? Astrid: How about I challenge you to a question you might not know the answer to? Helen: Okay, well, you can try. Go on then. Astrid: Well, I know you like the theatre. Helen: I do. But it has to be an exciting play or I get restless. Astrid: Restless, you mean unable to sit still because you get bored or worried even. Okay. I wonder how you'd feel watching the longest continuous play recorded? Helen: That's quite an offer. What do you mean? Astrid: According to the Guinness Book of Records, the longest continuous dramatic performance was held in New Jersey, in the US, in 2010. But do you know how long the cast for The Bald Soprano by Eugene Ionesco, was on stage for? Was it for about: a) 8 hours b) 17 hours c) 23 hours Helen: Wow! They're all pretty long. I'll say b) 17 hours, Astrid. Astrid: Goodness! Right. Okay. I'll let you know the answer by the end of the programme. Now, let's talk more about boredom. I think this is a feeling we have to learn how to cope with. Helen: Yes, we have to learn to deal with this situation successfully – to cope with it. But people often feel they want to change their life, to change their job. They might feel stuck in a rut. Astrid: That's a good phrase - stuck in a rut. So you mean you've become too fixed in one kind of job? Helen: Yes. You know Astrid, even I sometimes dream of something a bit more exciting like being a professional diver or maybe even a pilot of a really fast plane. Astrid: Well, guess what: even pilots get bored, you know? Helen: Not when they are flying anyway. Astrid: Wrong. When they're up in the air! Helen: No way! Really? I don't believe you! Astrid: Well, Missy Cummings, an American, was a fighter pilot. Listen to the phrasal verb she uses meaning to stop being bored, at least for a while. Is there ever time for a fighter pilot to get bored? Missy Cummings , former fighter pilot: Oh my gosh, sure, for the same reasons that commercial pilots get bored. These fighter jets are very automated when it comes to just holding altitude and heading. So you turn everything in autopilot and I pAstridably listened to more Oprah Winfrey TV shows on the high-frequency radios… And so you get good about using the technology to figure out how to stave off that boredom. Helen: Ah, so she listened to a show hosted by the American presenter Oprah Winfrey on the radio to stave off her boredom. Now, to stave off means to stop or to keep an unpleasant feeling away. In this case she means boredom. Astrid: Yes, indeed. Astrid: But some experts think there's something good about feeling bored. Helen: Really? Astrid: Let's hear what Tiffany Watt-Smith has to say. She works for the Centre for the History of Emotions at the Queen Mary University of London. Pay attention to the word she uses to describe what boredom does to people. Tiffany Watt-Smith, Queen Mary University of London: On the one hand people are worried about being under-occupied and bored. On the other there's a set of anxieties about us having any more downtime, you know. We can constantly check our phones at the bus stop. Everything is to be filled and what does that do to our minds? I think boredom is a very useful emotion. It's an emotion which spurs people on to change something about their environment. If you're bored that gives rise to creativity. Helen: So boredom spurs people on to change something. To spur on means to stimulate or to encourage someone to do something. Astrid: So what are you going to do, Helen? How will you change your life? Helen: Change my life? Okay. Two things. The first one is: I want to know if I got that question right! Astrid: Well I said at the beginning of the programme that the longest continuous dramatic performance was held in New Jersey, US, in 2010. And I asked you how long was the cast on stage for to play The Bald Soprano by Eugene Ionesco. Helen: Yes. The options were 8 hours, 17 hours and 23 hours, I think. And I said 17. Was I right? Astrid: You were not! Helen: Oh, no! Astrid: It was even longer. Helen: Wow! 23! Astrid: According to the Guinness Book of Records, the play lasted 23 hours, 33 minutes and 54 seconds. It was achieved by The 27 O'Clock Players who performed The Bald Soprano at Belmar, New Jersey, USA, on 27 July 2010. Anyway Helen, what's the second thing you're going to do to stave off your boredom? Helen: You know what, Astrid? I'm going to book myself a fantastic holiday! Maybe I could start with a visit to Patagonia in Argentina to see the penguins… Astrid: Yeah, it sounds very exciting. But before you head off to Patagonia, could you remind us of some of the English words we've heard today? Helen: We heard: 1. to yawn 打呵欠 2. stimulating 令人兴奋的 3. restless 焦躁不安的，坐立不安的 4. to cope with 处理，应付 5. stuck in a rut 一成不变，原地踏步 6. to stave off 挡开，避开，延缓 7. to spur on 驱使，鼓励，鞭策 Astrid: Thanks Helen. That's it for this programme. I hope you didn't find it boring. Helen: Not at all. I loved it! Astrid: Please join us soon again for school talk show from VOE radio station. Both: Bye.

On April 4, the National Security Law Society at Georgetown Law Center held a panel discussion on the “Legal and Ethical Implications of Autonomous Weapons.” It featured Tom Malinowski of Human Rights Watch, Missy Cummings, Professor of Aeronautics and Astronautics at MIT, and Benjamin Wittes of the Brookings Institution. The panel was moderated by Shane Harris of Washington magazine. 

MIT robotics professor Missy Cummings discusses drones with Ritika Singh.