Skip to main content Accessibility help

We use cookies to distinguish you from other users and to provide you with a better experience on our websites. Close this message to accept cookies or find out how to manage your cookie settings.

Close cookie message
×
Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-fscjk Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-20T05:05:02.385Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

15 - Asimov's Laws of Robotics

Implications for Information Technology

from PART IV - APPROACHES TO MACHINE ETHICS

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 June 2011

By
Roger Clarke
Edited by
Michael Anderson  and
Susan Leigh Anderson
Michael Anderson
Affiliation:
University of Hartford, Connecticut
Susan Leigh Anderson
Affiliation:
University of Connecticut
Get access

Summary

Introduction

With the death of isaac asimov on april 6, 1992, the world lost a prodigious imagination. Unlike fiction writers before him, who regarded robotics as something to be feared, Asimov saw a promising technological innovation to be exploited and managed. Indeed, Asimov's stories are experiments with the enormous potential of information technology.

This article examines Asimov's stories not as literature but as a gedankenexperiment – an exercise in thinking through the ramifications of a design. Asimov's intent was to devise a set of rules that would provide reliable control over semiautonomous machines. My goal is to determine whether such an achievement is likely or even possible in the real world. In the process, I focus on practical, legal, and ethical matters that may have short- or medium-term implications for practicing information technologists.

The article begins by reviewing the origins of the robot notion and then explains the laws for controlling robotic behavior, as espoused by Asimov in 1940 and presented and refined in his writings over the following forty-five years. The later sections examine the implications of Asimov's fiction not only for real roboticists, but also for information technologists in general.

Origins of Robotics

Robotics, a branch of engineering, is also a popular source of inspiration in science fiction literature; indeed, the term originated in that field. Many authors have written about robot behavior and their interaction with humans, but in this company Isaac Asimov stands supreme.

Type
Chapter
Information
Machine Ethics , pp. 254 - 284
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2011

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Asimov, I., The Rest of the Robots (a collection of short stories originally published between 1941 and 1957), Grafton Books, London, 1968.Google Scholar
Frude, N., The Robot Heritage, Century Publishing, London, 1984.Google Scholar
Asimov, I., I, Robot (a collection of short stories originally published between 1940 and 1950), Grafton Books, London, 1968.Google Scholar
Asimov, I., Warrick, P.S., and Greenberg, M.H., eds., Machines That Think, Holt, Rinehart, and Wilson, London. 1983.
Asimov, I., “Runaround” (originally published in 1942), reprinted in Reference 3, pp. 3–51.
Rey, L. Del, “Though Dreamers Die” (originally published in 1944), reprinted in Reference 4, pp. 153–174.
Asimov, I., “Evidence” (originally published in 1946), reprinted in Reference 3. pp. 159–182.
Geduld, H. M. and Gottesman, R.. eds., Robots, Robots, Robots, New York Graphic Soc., Boston. 1978.
Scott, P. B.. The Robotics Revolution: The Complete Guide. Blackwell, Oxford, 1984.Google Scholar
Asimov, I., Robot Dreams (a collection of short stories originally published between 1947 and 1986), Victor Gollancz, London, 1989.Google Scholar
Chandor, A., ed., The Penguin Dictionary of Computers, 3rd ed.. Penguin, London, 1985.
Asimov, I., “The Bicentennial Man”(originally published in 1976), reprinted in Reference 4, pp. 519–561. Expanded into I. Asimov and R. Silverberg. The Positronic Man, Victor Gollancz, London, 1992.Google Scholar
Clarke, A.C. and Kubrick, S., 2001: A Space Odyssey, Grafton Books. London, 1968.Google Scholar
Asimov, I., Robots and Empire, Grafton Books, London, 1985.Google Scholar
Asimov, I., “Risk” (originally published in 1955), reprinted in Reference 1. pp. 122–155.
Asimov, I., The Robots of Dawn, Grafton Books, London, 1983.Google Scholar
Asimov, I., “Liar!” (originally published in 1941), reprinted in Reference 3, pp. 92–109.
Asimov, I., “That Thou Art Mindful of Him” (originally published in 1974), reprinted in The Bicentennial Man, Panther Books, London, 1978, pp. 79–107.Google Scholar
Asimov, I., The Caves of Steel (originally published in 1954), Grafton Books, London, 1958.Google Scholar
Winograd, T. and Flores, F., Understanding Computers and Cognition, Ablex, Norwood, N.J., 1986.Google Scholar
Asimov, I., “Robbie” (originally published as “Strange Playfellow” in 1940), reprinted in Reference 3. pp. 13–32.
Asimov, I., The Naked Sun (originally published in 1957), Grafton Books, London, 1960.Google Scholar
Asimov, I., “The Evitable Conflict” (originally published in 1950), reprinted in Reference 3, pp. 183–706.
Asimov, I., “The Tercentenary Incident” (originally published in 1976), reprinted in The Bicentennial Man, Panther Books, London, 1978, pp. 229–247.Google Scholar
Asimov, I., “Little Lost Robot” (originally published in 1947), reprinted in Reference 3, pp. 110–136.
Asimov, I., “Robot Dreams,” first published in Reference 10, pp. 51–58.
Asimov, I., “The Machine That Won the War”(originally published in 1961), reprinted in Reference 10. pp. 191–197.
Bellin, D. and Chapman, G.. eds., Computers in Battle: Will They Work?Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, Boston, 1987.
Asimov, I., “Reason” (originally published in 1941), reprinted in Reference 3, pp. 52–70.
Asimov, I., “The Evitable Conflict” (originally published in 1950), reprinted in I. Asimov, I Robot, Grafton Books. London. 1968. pp. l83–206.Google Scholar
Asimov, I., Robots and Empire, Grafton Books, London, 1985.Google Scholar
Asimov, I., “The Bicentennial Man” (originally published in 1976), reprinted in Asimov, I., Warrick, P.S., and Greenberg, M.H., eds., Machines That Think, Holt. Rinehart, and Wilson, 1983, pp 519–561.Google Scholar
Asimov, I., The Robots of Dawn, Grafton Books, London, 1983.Google Scholar
Asimov, I., “Jokester” (originally published in 1956), reprinted in I. Asimov, Robot Dreams, Victor Gollancz, London, 1989 pp. 278–294.Google Scholar
Adams, D., The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, Harmony Books, New York, 1979.Google Scholar
Clarke, A.C., Rendezvous with Rama, Victor Gollancz, London, 1973.Google Scholar
Weizenbaum, J., Computer Power and Human Reason, W.H. Freeman, San Francisco, 1976.Google Scholar
Asimov, I., The Naked Sun, (originally published in 1957), Grafton Books, London, 1960.Google Scholar
Asimov, I., “Lenny” (originally published in 1958), reprinted in I. Asimov, The Rest of the Robots. Grafton Books, London, 1968, pp. 158–177.Google Scholar
Harrison, H., “War With the Robots” (originally published in 1962), reprinted in Asimov, I., Warrick, P.S., and Greenberg, M.H., eds., Machines That Think, Holt, Rinehart, and Wilson, 1983, pp.357–379.Google Scholar
Asimov, I., “Robbie” (originally published as “Strange Playfellow” in 1940), reprinted in I. Asimov, I, Robo, Grafton Books, London, 1968, pp. 13–32.Google Scholar
Vogt, A. E., “Fulfillment” (originally published in 1951), reprinted in Asimov, I., Warrick, P.S., and Greenberg, M.H.. eds., Machines That Think, Holt, Rinehart, and Wilson, 1983, pp. 175–205.Google Scholar
Asimov, I., “Feminine Intuition” (originally published in 1969), reprinted in I. Asimov, The Bicentennial Man, Panther Books, London, 1978, pp. 15–41.Google Scholar
Clarke, R. A., “Economic, Legal, and Social Implications of Information Technology,” MIS Quarterly, Vol. 17 No. 4, Dec. 1988, pp. 517–519.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Asimov, I., “Satisfaction Guaranteed” (originally published in 1951), reprinted in I. Asimov, The Rest of the Robots, Grafton Books, London, 1968, pp.102–120.Google Scholar
Weizenbaum, J., “Eliza,” Comm. ACM, Vol. 9, No. 1, Jan. 1966, pp. 36–45.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Turkle, S., The Second Self' Computers and the Human Spirit, Simon & Schuster, New York, 1984.Google Scholar
Budrys, A., “First to Serve” (originally published in 1954), reprinted in Asimov, I., Greenberg, M.H., and Waugh, C.G., eds., Robots, Signet, New York, 1989, pp. 227–244.Google Scholar
Asimov, I., “Risk” (originally published in 1955), reprinted in I. Asimov, The Rest of the Robots, Grafton Books, London, 1968, pp. 122–155.Google Scholar
Wyndham, J., “The Lost Machine” (originally published in1932), reprinted in Wells, A., ed., The Best of John Wyndham, Sphere Books, London, 1973, pp. 13–36, and in I. Asimov, P.S. Warrick, and M.H. Greenberg, eds., Machines That Think, Holt, Rinehart, and Wilson, 1983, pp. 29–49.Google Scholar

Save book to Kindle

To save this book to your Kindle, first ensure no-reply@cambridge.org is added to your Approved Personal Document E-mail List under your Personal Document Settings on the Manage Your Content and Devices page of your Amazon account. Then enter the ‘name’ part of your Kindle email address below. Find out more about saving to your Kindle.

Note you can select to save to either the @free.kindle.com or @kindle.com variations. ‘@free.kindle.com’ emails are free but can only be saved to your device when it is connected to wi-fi. ‘@kindle.com’ emails can be delivered even when you are not connected to wi-fi, but note that service fees apply.

Find out more about the Kindle Personal Document Service.

Available formats
×

Save book to Dropbox

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Dropbox.

Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

Available formats
×