Knowledge is dangerous for children, and robots...

Like any rule, the rules of robotics are flawed. The first law is as follows: No robot may harm a human being, or through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm. However, great danger will ensue if this rule comes to read: no robot may harm a human being. This rule leaves room for the unintentional harming of humans. The combination of flawed rules with robots leads to chaos because robots behave like children, who are in the beginning stages of development. Like children, robots are learning new knowledge with each experience. Speaking of robots, Asimov writes, “They tell you when they think you’re wrong, though. They don’t know anything about the subject but what we taught them, but that doesn’t stop them” (p. 147). After reading this, I immediately thought of my little cousins who think they know everything about everything despite their youthful age. If I told my cousins to “go lose themselves,” they would probably respond much like the robot who goes into hiding because they do not know any better, but they do know how to decipher language which is what the robots have learned to do through their interactions with humans. Through their interactions with humans, robots have also learned how to lie which points to the danger of knowledge, a reoccurring theme in science fiction novels like “Frankenstein.” It is the robots’ ability to learn and grow from their experiences that poses a threat to the human race.