The Robot Laws

- Isaac Asimov proposed ''Three Laws of Robotics'', and he later added a ''Zeroth Law'' -

The Original Laws of Robotics

(The Calvinian Religion)

• A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm.
• A robot must obey any 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.

The Zeroth Law

(The Giskardian Reformation)

• A robot must act in the long-range interest of humanity as a whole,
  and may overrule all other laws whenever it seems necesary for that ultimate goal.

The first three original Laws are found in "Handbook of Robotics" 56th edition, 2058 A.D.
They are named after robopsychologist Dr. Susan Calvin at U.S. Robots, - born 1982 A.D.
The Zeroth Law is sometimes mentioned as the Giskardian Reformation
- after R. Giskard Reventlow who helped R.Deneel develop the Zeroth Law -
Giskard the legendary, first of the mentalic robots, capable and willing to guide humans,
nudging and shifting their thoughts and memories...for their own good.


Sometimes the laws are stated slightly different. For completeness such an equivalent formulation follows below:

The Robot Laws

• Law Zero: A robot may not injure humanity, or, through inaction, allow humanity to come to harm.
  
• Law One: A robot may not injure a human being, or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm,
  unless this would violate a higher order law.
• Law Two: A robot must obey any orders given to it by human beings, except where such orders would conflict with a higher order law.
  
• Law Three: A robot must protect its own existance, as long as such protection does not conflict with a higher order law.

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June 1998 - Simon Laub

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