Gaming, robots and criminal law

Jacques-André Dupuy (Operantis)"Nous faisons du serious game pour les pilotes d'avion" (JDN 25 June 2009)
Use of 3D games to train pilot - positive use of technology, but one cannot be left but to wonder whether the reality of those games could have adverse effects in certain conditions and be responsible for more violence?

And what if the robots copy 'bad' behaviours and commit crimes? fiction? not so much if one believes this article about a child robot which memory increases by copying real human behaviour. "CB2 : parfait pour un prochain film d'horreur" http://www.journaldunet.com/hightech/salon-multimedia/dossier/ils-sont-la-et-nous-ressemblent-les-robots/cb2-parfait-pour-un-prochain-film-d-horreur.shtml
this made me think about the work of Michelle Hildebrand from Rotterdam/Brussels...

Games and no crime

Self-explanatory and for those who don't speak French: companies/firms use games, sometimes created for them, to either train employees or filter applicants.

"10 jeux vidéo très sérieux pour mieux manager" (JDN, 7 April 2009)

Influence of video games on criminality

A recurrent theme that appears from time to time. Well, of course video games do not create criminality. However, to deny them any effect seems to me troublesome. Sociologically, if there are other conditions creating an absence of structure in one's life, video games, played hours on end every day, do influence one's behaviour. Maybe not to the extent of pushing someone to decide to murder, but in putting someone in such a frame of mind that anger, stress and lack of boundaries make the person unable to rationalise and control one's feelings and impulsions. And the problem with violent crimes is that they are acted upon impulse. So yes, I do believe video games can influence somebody, although they certainly are not the main factor triggering the person to act.
In that sense, the new study may well have flaws, like the others....
"New Research Shows No Link Between Violent Video Games And School Shootings" (TechDirt, 22 January 2009)

That said, the sociological influence does not fit within the legal definitions of what defences are. Thus, it is not a surprise if courts deny the claim any validity. Should they modify the law? I do not think so; this is criminal law and strong reasons of social policies motivate towards admitting defences only rarely. In this particular case, there is no abolition of consciousness.
'The Video Game Made Me Kill My Parents' Defense Rejected" (TechDirt, 13 January 2009)

Causation, child abuse, video and liability

It is interesting because criminal law has not been set up for those types of cases on a massive scale. I don't see how the prosecution can stand on its feet because it is very indirect liability - chain of causation is frail

"Man Who Re-Uploaded Viral Baby Swinging Video Charged With Child Abuse?" (12 December 2008, TechDirt)