Do you know the laws of robotics? These are three laws developed by Isaac Asimov, the famous Russian fiction writer, author of such well-known works as “I, Robot.”
In this article we will see What are his three laws of robotics? how they were born, what characteristics they have, how we can interpret them and what has been the impact of Isaac Asimov.
Isaac Asimov was born on January 2, 1920 in Petrovich, Russia, and died on April 6, 1992 in New York (USA), at the age of 72. Asimov was a science fiction writer of Russian origin and a nationalized American, as well as a professor of biochemistry from Boston University School of Medicine.
He became known worldwide for being the author of numerous science fiction stories, but also for his work on history and scientific dissemination.
The laws of robotics
The three laws of robotics were described by Isaac Asimov, the famous science fiction writer. These laws applied to the robots that appear in his science fiction novels and stories. Their robots had the mission of carrying out orders, in addition to the ability to act on their own Thus, these laws are directed at their robots.
Asimov, in his stories, looks for contradictory situations that create conflicts when applying one law or another, but that is the “grace”, because the author thus investigates philosophical and moral dilemmas.
These three laws were first published in Asimov’s story Vicious circle, dated 1942. But what did these laws say? Let’s get to know them:
1. Do no harm
Asimov’s first law of robotics states: “A robot cannot harm a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm.”
In this way, the first law of robotics refers not only to the fact of not causing harm, but also to avoiding it Asimov further specifies and conveys this law through the robot’s actions but also through its non-actions (“inaction”).
If we reflect on this law today, we can think of an example of artificial intelligence: self-driving cars If, for example, the car is going to collide with another, it should move out of the way even if “it” is driving correctly, so as not to cause damage, following Asimov’s first law.
2. Follow orders
The second of Asimov’s laws of robotics states that: “A robot must follow the orders of human beings, except if such orders conflict with the First Law.”
Thus, the robot He must comply with the orders sent to him, unless they are incompatible with the first law (that is, avoiding damage and not causing it will always be prioritized).
3. Protect one’s own existence
Finally, the third law of robotics says: “A robot must protect its own existence to the extent that this does not conflict with the First or Second Law.”
As we see, the third law refers to the robot’s self-protection; This law must take precedence, as long as it is not incompatible with previous laws (which will take priority).
These laws are formulated in such a way that the human protagonists of Asimov’s stories recite them, but we must understand that their “real form” is actually equivalent to a set of more complex instructions that are fed into the robot’s brain
Origin
What is the real origin of the three laws of robotics? Asimov explains that in reality They were written by John W. Campbell, also a science fiction writer, through a conversation between the two produced on December 23, 1940.
According to Campbell, however, Asimov himself already had these laws in mind, and what they did was put them together, between the two of them.
Where do they appear?
We can find Isaac Asimov’s three laws of robotics in many stories by the famous writer, specifically: in his robot series, in related stories and in numerous novels whose protagonist is Lucky Starr.
Fortunately, Asimov’s laws have expanded beyond his legacy, and other authors have used them as well for his science fiction stories (or to talk about Asimov’s work). Furthermore, these three laws of robotics have also been mentioned in other genres.
Its use in science fiction
Isaac Asimov’s laws of robotics have gone beyond science fiction to reach the realm of real life and robot design. To give an example, the robot “Asimo” is an acronym for Advanced Step in Innovating MObility, and at the same time a tribute to Isaac Asimov.
I robot
Eight years after the publication of the laws of robotics, in 1950, Asimov published a compilation of stories, in a work he titled I robot.
In this work, we find a set of conflicts, dilemmas and paradoxes influenced by the interpretation of said laws in ambiguous and/or complex situations.
After the three laws of robotics, came the Zeroth Law, also proposed by Asimov. This law is a generalization (which includes an improvement) of the first law, and establishes that a robot cannot harm humanity or allow it to come to harm through inaction
That is, it no longer only refers to “man” in the singular, but to humanity in general.
The era of artificial intelligence
It is undeniable that artificial intelligence, along with new technologies and robotics, are increasingly on the rise. Artificial intelligence (AI), remember, is intelligence carried out by machines.
An intelligent machine is one that is capable of perceiving the environment and developing actions or “behaviors.” that increase your chances of success, in relation to some objective, goal or task. Thus, this type of intelligence is part of a reality that is increasingly immersed in our lives.
On the other hand, the term “artificial intelligence” is also applied to machines that imitate the cognitive functions of humans. Among these functions we find the ability to solve problems, the ability to think, reflect, decide, learn…
