Beyond Asimov: The Three Laws of Responsible Robotics

Abstract

The three laws have been so successfully inculcated into the public consciousness through entertainment that they now appear to shape society's expectations about how robots should act around humans. Asimov's first law of robotics states, "A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm." Asimov's second law of robotics states, "A robot must obey orders given to it by human beings, except where such orders would conflict with the first law." The third law states, "A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the first or second law." To address the difficulties of applying Asimov's three laws to the current generation of robots while respecting the laws' general intent, the authors suggest the three laws of responsible robotics. Ironically, Asimov's laws really are robot-centric because most of the initiative for safety and efficacy lies in the robot as an autonomous agent.