Mark Zuckerberg’s New Year’s resolution: Build an AI butler

Evan Gower January 4, 2016

Last year I set myself five New Year’s resolutions, and kept two perfectly and two imperfectly. The other was jettisoned, but not a bad return, I thought. Mark Zuckerberg is, on balance, probably busier than me, so he’s only going for one this year, although it is a touch more challenging than my aims: he wants to “build a simple AI” to run his home and assist with his work. “You can think of it kind of like Jarvis in Iron Man,” he wrote in a Facebook post.

Mark Zuckerberg’s New Year’s resolution: Build an AI butler

“I’m going to start by exploring what technology is already out there. Then I’ll start teaching it to understand my voice to control everything in our home – music, lights, temperature and so on,” he continued. “I’ll teach it to let friends in by looking at their faces when they ring the doorbell,” he added, in a move that he may swiftly regret as his life starts to feel like a 1990s sitcom. mark_zuckerberg_ai_2016

“This should be a fun intellectual challenge to code this for myself. I’m looking forward to sharing what I learn over the course of the year,” he concluded, confirming what I already knew: me and Mark Zuckerberg have very different ideas of the concept of fun.

A challenge it certainly is, though, and the Facebook founder is no stranger to setting himself tough goals for the year ahead: learning Mandarin and meeting a new person every day being two highlights.

Some people are never satisfied, eh?

Much of the functionality Zuckerberg talks about sounds a little similar to Internet of Things plans already afoot, and, of course, with his wealth, he could just hire a team of butlers to do his bidding for him, but there’s something quite impressive about his thirst for self-improvement despite his success… provided things don’t go too far:

That’s okay then.

READ NEXT: Zuckerberg says Muslims will always be welcome on Facebook, but the site turns a blind eye to hate speech.

Images: Paul Williams and Robert Scoble used under Creative Commons

Zuckerberg: Muslims will always be welcome on Facebook

Mark Zuckerberg has voiced his support for Facebook’s Muslim users, urging the social network to stand together in the face of persecution and hateful rhetoric.

“I want to add my voice in support of Muslims in our community and around the world,” Zuckerberg wrote in a Facebook post. “After the Paris attacks and hate this week, I can only imagine the fear Muslims feel that they will be persecuted for the actions of others.”

The post comes in the wake of calls by Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump to ban Muslims from entering the United States. Trump’s comments have been widely condemned, yet there are signs that his lead in the Republican race has actually grown since the remarks. According to a recent CNN/WMUR poll, Trump now has 32% of support in the state of New Hampshire.

In this context, Zuckerberg’s comments come as a strong swipe against Islamophobic fear-mongering. There is an explicit political element to this, and interestingly Zuckerberg refers to himself as “leader of Facebook”, rather than CEO – a somewhat statesmanlike title for a Silicon Valley businessman.

Zuckerberg’s positive rhetoric pledges to make Facebook a “peaceful and safe environment”, but the reality is perhaps harder to pull off. A short time before the Facebook CEO posted his message, a story broke about the social network’s failure to shut down an event for an armed rally at a Texas mosque.

According to the Facebook event page for the BAIR Rally for US Law and Sovereignty, attendees are encouraged to bring weapons. “Armed… concealed or open carry long guns welcome,” the page reads. “Members of this mosque were convicted of running the largest terror funding operation in American history! They are Sunni Muslims that have taken over the entire neighborhood and even renamed streets after the Islamic culture. Do I need to say anymore?”

According to The Independent, a London-based animator complained to Facebook about the event posting, but was told that it didn’t violate Facebook’s community standards. She subsequently reported it to the Metropolitan Police, who put her through to the FBI. At the time of writing, however, the page is still up on the site.

Zuckerberg hits back at claim Facebook turns users into products

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has hit back at claims free services, such as his own social network, turn people from consumers into products.

Earlier this year, Apple CEO Tim Cook pointed to the habit certain unnamed free services have of collecting user data from emails, instant messages and web browsing behaviour in order to sell targeted advertising.

“Our business model is very straightforward: we sell great products,” said Cook. “When an online service is free, you’re not the customer. You’re the product.”

While Facebook wasn’t referenced directly – indeed, it’s thought Cook’s statement may have been more of a snipe at Google than anyone else – Zuckerberg has seemingly taken it as a slight against his company.

“People increasingly seem to equate an advertising business model with somehow being out of alignment with your customers. I think it’s the most ridiculous concept,” Zuckerberg told Time magazine.

“What, you think because you’re paying Apple that you’re somehow in alignment with them? If you were in alignment with them, then they’d make their products a lot cheaper!” he added.

In many ways, it’s not surprising Zuckerberg is smarting over Cook’s remarks, even if it has taken nearly three months for him to respond.

In August 2013, researchers with security firm High Tech Bridge discovered Facebook automatically records links users send in private messages and, in January 2014, a class action lawsuit was filed in California, alleging the practice breached users’ right to privacy.

More recently, it came in for criticism after working with researchers at Cornell University to attempt to manipulate users emotions, although what Facebook hoped to gain from the relationship is unclear.

Zuckerberg: internet access is a human right

Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg has become the latest person to suggest access to the internet is a human right, according to The Times of India.

Speaking at a conference in New Delhi marking the launch of Internet.org, a project to extend the internet to the two-thirds of the world that has no connectivity, Zuckerberg said the project “[aims] to build an internet that works for all”.

He also said he wanted to empower the youth of India through the internet, adding that a lack of content in a relevant local language is was hindering progress.

Not the first

Zuckerberg isn’t the first to suggest access to the internet should be a human right.

Over the past ten years, several UN summits and special reports have put forward the idea of connectivity to the internet as a human right as part of the rights to freedom of expression and opinion.

A 2011 special report by human rights lawyer Frank La Rue, prepared for the UN, stated: “Unlike any other medium, the internet enables individuals to seek, receive and impart information and ideas of all kinds instantaneously and inexpensively across national borders. [It is] an ‘enabler’ of other human rights … boosts economic, social and political development, and contributes to the progress of humankind as a whole.”

La Rue added that countries should “ensure that internet access is maintained at all times, including during times of political unrest”.

A 2010 survey of 27,000 adults carried out by the BBC World Service also suggested popular support for the idea of internet connectivity as a human right.

However, despite all this discussion, the “right” to the internet has yet to be written into any legislation.