Isaac Asimov forever changed our perception of robots and robotics through his science fiction. At the root of his stories were three laws of robotics:
- A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm
- A robot must obey orders givein to it 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.
These well thought out codes generated many fantastic situations and dramas that did far more than entertain. They helped humanity think through ethics and helped us consider the kind of future we want to build.
Some of Asimov’s greatest writings have been collected in the I, Robot series, a collection of stories that runs the gamut from robots gone mad, to mind-reading robots, to robots that laugh and have a well developed sense of humor.
For more see: I, Robot.
And to continue your examination of how the three laws remain relevant today, visit the Things Cyber Science Fiction and Things Cyber Robotics sections.
And tell us please, how the three laws are relevant to you today. Would you add others? You can Contact Us