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, a robot”.

In this article we will see what their three laws of robotics consist of , how they were born, what characteristics they have, how we can interpret them and what has been the repercussion of Isaac Asimov.

Who was Isaac Asimov?

Isaac Asimov was born on January 2, 1920 in Petrovichia, Russia, and died on April 6, 1992 in New York (USA), at the age of 72. Asimov was a Russian-born, naturalised American science fiction writer and a professor of biochemistry at Boston University School of Medicine.

He became known worldwide as the author of numerous science fiction stories, but also for his work on history and the popularization of science.

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 appeared in his novels and science fiction stories. His robots had the mission of carrying out orders, as well as the ability to act on their own . Thus, these laws are addressed to his 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 reads: “A robot cannot harm a human being nor, through inaction, allow a human being to be harmed.

Thus, the first law of robotics refers not only to the fact of not causing damage, but also to the fact of avoiding it . Asimov further specifies and conveys this law through the actions of the robot but also through its non-actions (the “inaction”).

If we reflect on this law today, we can think of an example of artificial intelligence: the autonomous cars . If, for example, the car is going to hit another one, it should move away itself even though “it” is circulating correctly, so as not to cause any damage, following Asimov’s first law.

2. Carrying out 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 must comply with the orders sent to it, unless these orders are incompatible with the first law (i.e. priority is always given to avoiding damage and not causing it).

3. Protecting one’s 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 self-protection of the robot; this law should prevail, as long as it is not incompatible with the previous laws (which will take priority).

Characteristics of the laws

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 introduced 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 to put them in common, between the two.

Where do they show up?

We can find the three laws of robotics of Isaac Asimov in many stories of the famous writer, specifically: in his series of robots, 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 also used them for their science fiction stories (or to talk about Asimov’s work). In addition, these three laws of robotics have been mentioned in other genres as well.

Its use in science fiction

Isaac Asimov’s laws of robotics have moved beyond science fiction into the realm of real life and robot design. For 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 collection of stories, in a work entitled I, a robot .

In this work, we find a set of conflicts, dilemmas and paradoxes influenced by the interpretation of these laws , in the face of ambiguous and/or complex situations.

Law Zero

After the three laws of robotics came Law Zero, also proposed by Asimov. This law is a generalization (which includes an improvement) of the first law, and states that a robot cannot harm humanity or allow it to suffer any damage by inaction .

In other words, it no longer refers only to “man” in the singular, but to humanity in general.

The Age of Artificial Intelligence

There is no denying the fact that artificial intelligence, together with new technologies and robotics, is on the rise. Artificial intelligence (AI), let us remember, is that intelligence carried out by machines.

An intelligent machine is one that is capable of perceiving the environment and developing actions or “behaviours” that increase its possibilities of success, in relation to some objective, goal or task. Thus, this type of intelligence forms 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 human cognitive functions. Among these functions we find the ability to solve problems, the ability to think, reflect, decide, learn…

Bibliographic references:

  • Adarraga, Pablo; Zaccagnini, José Luis (1994). Psychology and Artificial Intelligence. Madrid: Trotta.
  • Andrés, Tirso de (2002). Homo cybersapiens: artificial and human intelligence (1st edition). Pamplona: Ediciones Universidad de Navarra.
  • Asimov, I. (1989). Vicious circle. The robots. trad. Domingo Santos. Barcelona: Martínez Roca.
  • Martínez, R. (2015). The science fiction of Isaac Asimov. Editorial Portula.