Author Archives: Michael Froomkin

UM Police Want You to Know about the Crocodile in the Lake

Posted on May 2, 2025 by Michael Froomkin
American Crocodile

Wikipedia’s American Crocodile

Email this morning from UM Police:

The University of Miami is aware that a crocodile has recently been seen in Lake Osceola. [MF note: the lake in the center of campus.] Signs are posted around Lake Osceola and near the canals on campus as a reminder of their presence. They may appear docile and calm as they bask in the sun near the rocks or just along the surface of the water, but they should not be approached, and their space should be respected.

Individuals and anyone with pets are strongly advised to remain clear of the edge of the water and not attempt to feed or interact with these animals, if observed.

In Florida, crocodiles and alligators, can be found in any body of water, and they easily navigate into various waterways. The University has worked with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission for guidance on alligators and crocodiles in our community in the past and more information can be found on their website.

This is far from our first crocodile.  See, e.g.,

 

Posted in U.Miami: Crocs | Leave a comment

Robot Law II is Now Available! (In Hardback)

Posted on May 1, 2025 by Michael Froomkin
A New Framework for Intermediary Liability

Edited by Ryan Calo,  A. Michael Froomkin and Kristen Thomasen

‘Robot Law: Volume II assembles cutting-edge scholarship from leading experts, many of whom are regular contributors to the prestigious We Robot Conferences. This timely volume offers incisive analysis of pressing legal and ethical challenges posed by AI and robots; from autonomous machines to algorithmic-generated issues. This is an indispensable resource for interested scholars, policymakers, and anyone grappling with the societal impacts of emerging technologies.’

– Fumio Shimpo, Keio University, Japan

Here’s a free chapter: Abeba Birhane and Jelle van Dijk, Robot rights? Let’s talk about human welfare instead

I think this terrific paper should be read by anyone who is even flirting with the idea that robots (or AIs!) are the sort of thing that are entitled to any rights, much less human-like rights.

Yes, I’ll bracket out two scenarios: one, maybe someday we build an AI that really seems to be sentient. Not holding my breath, but if we get there, we can cross that bridge.

Second, and more realistic, we might decide that humanoid robots, or animal-like robots, should be entitled to some protections from abuse not because they ‘deserve’ it, but because we discover that allowing abuse of machines that look like living things might have bad effects on the abusers that they then carry over to their interactions with animals and people. In other words, if kicking robot dogs trains you to kick real ones, or abusing very humanoid robots habituates you to abusing people, we might want to do something about that. A similar argument is that we might find it expedient to treat AIs as having ‘rights’ for the same reasons (some of us) think the legal fiction makes sense for corporations: namely it advances some human social goals.

But I’ve gotten away from my point, which was to invite you to ask your library to buy our expensive book, or to invite you to buy the much more reasonably priced e-copy.  Give your librarian this info:

Published: 08 Apr 2025
Print ISBN:  9781800887299
eISBN:  9781800887305
DOI: https://doi.org/10.4337/9781800887305

The electronic edition should be available, I’m told, within a couple of weeks.

Meanwhile, here’s the entire wonderful table of contents:

Great stuff!
Posted in AI, Robots, Writings | 2 Comments

Coral Gables Commission Run-off April 22-Voter’s Guide

Posted on April 18, 2025 by Michael Froomkin

There are just two candidates in the coming run-off election for the Group III seat in Coral Gables (when will they adopt ranked-choice voting and save us this trouble????):

  1. You can have Richard Lara, the candidate whose campaign is bulging with developer cash and who will continue if not accelerate the transformation of the City Beautiful into the City Overdeveloped. Not coincidentally, he’s going to lock in a slate with Vince Lago.

  2. Or you can have a self-funded candidate, Tom Wells, whose web site doesn’t even ask for your money. He has more experience with the nuts and bolts of how Coral Gables works. And he promises to stop overdevelopment, and bring back civility.

The first thing can be done by being the swing vote. The second will be a lot harder. The vitriol has been think on this one–not from Lara himself, but from his supporters. Lara himself has limited himself to dogwhistle politics, like running ads on the Fox network, although that is not my idea of the home of civility.

For me it’s a very clear and easy choice: Vote Tom Wells. (FWIW the Miami Herald agrees.) Early voting is this weekend at the Coral Gables Library 7am to 7pm.  Otherwise it’s the normal hours at your local precinct this Tuesday. Don’t put it off!

Here’s the key part of Herald’s endorsement:

The candidate who wins this seat could serve as the swing vote on commission decisions. The winner should focus on staying away from petty fights and allegations to focus on what’s best for residents.

There are continuing allegations and counter-allegations about which candidate is aligned with which faction. But Coral Gables residents have made it very clear: They want to see a return to civility and an end to factionalism.

Wells would be well advised to listen to the voters. And Lara, who said he wants to see “smart and responsible development,” should consider serving on a government board or committee to demonstrate his desire to serve the community.

In the runoff race for the Coral Gables Commission Group III seat, the Herald Editorial Board endorses THOMAS O. WELLS.

Posted in Miami | Leave a comment

Vince Lago Campaign Has No Shame

Posted on April 8, 2025 by Michael Froomkin

I just got a shameful text message from the Vince Lago campaign. Recall that Lago is an ambitious Republican who has run a straight-up MAGA campaign in both this and the last election. His PAC is even called “Coral Gables First”.  And now this:

Yes I know it says it is an independent expenditure not affiliated with any campaign. I was not born yesterday, though.

This Democrat is off to the polls. And not to vote for Lago.

Kirk Menendez for Mayor,
Felix Pardo for Group II, and
Tom Wells for Group III.

Posted in Coral Gables | 2 Comments

Coral Gables Hits New Pre-Election Lows

Posted on April 4, 2025 by Michael Froomkin

I don’t know that everything on this list is accurate, but I do believe that more than half of it is.  That’s quite damning….

Posted in Coral Gables | Leave a comment

Are Coral Gables Police Cooperating with ICE?

Posted on April 3, 2025 by Michael Froomkin

I’m about to go to the airport, so I don’t have time to investigate this, but I just got text message with no name attached, just the (alleged) source phone number 786 610-5260, claiming that the Coral Gables police signed a deal allowing CG police to act as ICE agents. There was no link, and no source information, which combined with the lack of a name on the message does tend to make it look like a hoax.

Does anyone know if this is true? If it is true, then Coral Gables Commission candidates (and indeed, sitting Commissioners too) should state if they’ll vote to end the agreement.

I wouldn’t post this normally if I had time to check it out, but I’ll be away through late Sunday.  Early voting is this weekend, and election is Tuesday.

Posted in Civil Liberties, Coral Gables | 1 Comment