Asimov's Laws of Robots

[nickhay]

With the recent film release of "I, Robot," the Singularity Institute for Artificial Intelligence has launched a new website, 3 Laws Unsafe. 3 Laws Unsafe explores the technical problems surrounding Isaac Asimov's Three Laws of Robotics. The Three Laws are widely known and are often taken seriously as a reasonable solution for guiding future AI. 3 Laws Unsafe argues, in detail, that different solutions are necessary.

 

[vshah]

wow dude, nice first post. cool stuff


-Vivan

 

[DaveSimmons]

(edit: good first post nickhay! this was just intended as a supplement not criticism)

Actually, most of Asimov's own short stories pointed out the flaws and foibles of the laws.

The Foundation books written by others after his death included the extermination of all non-human intelligent life in the galaxy as another minor consequence of "... or through inaction allow a human to come to harm."

 

[nickhay]

Exactly, Asimov himself recognised many of these problems - they were plot features. Some people seemed to have missed this finer point - in discussion on how create robots able to behave ethically, Asimov's three laws repeatedly seem to crop up as a serious suggestion. There are, however, fundamental problems with the whole idea of trying to regulate AIs through laws.

 

[jagec]

I forget what book it was now, but there was another one which showed the problems which would result if humans would come to harm either way.

I believe it was a planet which was having huge climate problems, and would become uninhabitable in a few years...someone proposed using ice meteors (or something) to carve a polar sea and stabilize the climate. Dangerous either way.

 

[JEDI]

um..MAtrix anyone?

 

[jagec]

Originally posted by: JEDI
um..MAtrix anyone?

Since when were those 3-law robots?

 

[notfred]

You'd think a site like that would have these 3 laws put right up on the main page, but no, they jsut talk about how they're going to dicuss three laws that you have to search for somewhere on the internet.

 

[StageLeft]

Originally posted by: vshah
wow dude, nice first post. cool stuff


-Vivan

Agreed

I'm impressed also that somebody has actually gone into these and made a web site about them!

 

[0roo0roo]

wha? here ya go! http://www.asimovlaws.com/articles/

also posted in other irobot threads.

 

[Gunslinger08]

Very nice link. I'm gonna do a quick read through and get back to you.

 

[nickhay]

Thanks for the positive response everyone

notfred: Yeah, I admit the design isn't too clear. The articles section should be more obvious.