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Re: Laws of Robotics, was Jury Finds Guilty of Homicide in Stillbirth.From: DoctorJoe@aol.comMon May 28 10:35:36 2001
In a message dated 5/28/01 9:39:44 AM, wilsonk@gtn.on.ca writes: << However, it frightens me that women could be incarcerated to "guarantee" the well-being of their children. What will become the "standard of care" which they cannot violate without fear of incarceration? It's pretty clear that crack is beyond the pale, but do we also lock up women who smoke tobacco while pregnant? Drink alcohol? Have more than one sexual partner? Refuse ultrasound? Don't take their multivitamins? Don't wear a seatbelt? Ride a rollercoaster or go horseback riding? >> You know, discussions of this type make me harken back to Issac Asimov's Three Laws of Robotics: 1. A robot must never harm a human being, either by action or thru inaction. 2. A robot must always obey human commands, except if they violate Law #1. 3. A robot must never allow itself to come to harm, except if this violates Laws #1 or #2. There is, to my wandering and disordered mind at least, a striking similarity to our "government" (however you envision it... the courts? the legislature? the "system"?) and the robots. That is, robots were made BY humans, obviously FOR humans - to make life easier, etc. And so was government. So look at where we are with that... One short story Asimov wrote was sort of a reductio ad absurdum of the role of the robot, where the robots generally, all pervasive and "one in every garage" sort of thing, actually followed Law #1 TO THE LIMIT. They wouldn't let children swing on swing sets, lest they fall and injure themselves. They would't let the lady of the house cook, lest she burn herself. Etc. etc. etc. And isn't that sort of how the US Government, at least, has gotten? They put warning labels on hot things (irons, stoves, etc) saying you shouldn't touch them because they're... well, they're HOT! They take objects off the market because they have points on them and "you could put your eye out." Basically, they act like humans are stupid and incompetent, and must be protected from themselves. The parallel is very amusing to me, since I used to read robot stories and was obviously pretty impressed by them, to remember this stuff... Hi ho! Joe P. P.S. Of course, the corollary is: Left to their own devices, humans, at least SOME humans, ARE pretty damn stupid. Cocaine? Drunk driving? Group sex? Twinkies for dinner? I mean, how stupid can you be and still have a brain?!?
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