Asimov's laws of robotics. Fun fact.
Asimov's Laws of Robotics are a set of fictional guidelines from author Isaac Asimov's robot stories, outlining a hierarchical code for intelligent machines: 1) A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm; 2) It must obey orders from humans unless they conflict with the First Law; and 3) It must protect its own existence unless it conflicts with the First or Second Law. He later added a "Zeroth Law" stating a robot may not harm humanity, or allow humanity to come to harm. While influential in fiction, these laws are now considered impractical for real-world AI due to their failure to resolve complex ethical dilemmas and inability to account for uncertainties and conflicting orders.
The Laws Explained
First Law:
.
A robot cannot injure a human or stand by and let a human be harmed.
Second Law:
.
A robot must follow human orders, but only if they don't conflict with the First Law.
Third Law:
.
A robot must protect its own existence, but only if it doesn't violate the First or Second Law.
Zeroth Law:
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A robot must not harm humanity or allow humanity to be harmed through its inaction. This law takes precedence over the other three.
Why They Are Flawed for Real-World AI
Conflicting Human Orders:
The laws don't specify how a robot should handle conflicting orders from different humans.
Uncertainty:
The laws lack mechanisms to address uncertainty in situations, such as determining whether a course of action might lead to harm.
Defining Harm:
It is difficult to define what "harm" means in a complex, real-world scenario.
Trolley Problem:
The laws don't provide a clear answer for ethical dilemmas like the trolley problem, where a decision must be made between causing harm to one person to save many.
Inherent Limitations:
Asimov's laws were a fictional plot device intended to explore robot behavior, not a practical blueprint for actual AI ethics.
The Laws Explained
First Law:
.
A robot cannot injure a human or stand by and let a human be harmed.
Second Law:
.
A robot must follow human orders, but only if they don't conflict with the First Law.
Third Law:
.
A robot must protect its own existence, but only if it doesn't violate the First or Second Law.
Zeroth Law:
.
A robot must not harm humanity or allow humanity to be harmed through its inaction. This law takes precedence over the other three.
Why They Are Flawed for Real-World AI
Conflicting Human Orders:
The laws don't specify how a robot should handle conflicting orders from different humans.
Uncertainty:
The laws lack mechanisms to address uncertainty in situations, such as determining whether a course of action might lead to harm.
Defining Harm:
It is difficult to define what "harm" means in a complex, real-world scenario.
Trolley Problem:
The laws don't provide a clear answer for ethical dilemmas like the trolley problem, where a decision must be made between causing harm to one person to save many.
Inherent Limitations:
Asimov's laws were a fictional plot device intended to explore robot behavior, not a practical blueprint for actual AI ethics.
