Have you ever heard of the Three Laws of Robotics? Isaac Asimov's ground rules for healthy human-robot relations are meant to make sure that we are never hurt or betrayed by our robotic creations. Here they are, in case you need a primer:
- A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm.
- A robot must obey the orders given 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.
Seems like that covers just about everything, right? Well, actually, no...and Asimov knew it (he did write an entire short story collection about exploiting the loopholes). What's more, modern roboticists tend to think the rules aren't just flawed, they're fundamentally misguided.