Isaac Asimov & Robotics

Isaac Asimov (1920–1992) shaped how the world thinks about robots through his stories and the famous Three Laws of Robotics.

The Three Laws of Robotics

  1. First Law: A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm.
  2. Second Law: A robot must obey the orders given it by human beings except where such orders would conflict with the First Law.
  3. Third Law: A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Law.

Asimov later added a "Zeroth Law": A robot may not harm humanity or, by inaction, allow humanity to come to harm.

Stories and legacy

Asimov's robot short stories (collected in I, Robot and elsewhere) and novels such as the Robot series explored the implications of the Three Laws. Characters like Susan Calvin and R. Daneel Olivaw became icons. His work influenced both science fiction and real-world robotics and AI ethics.