This Robot Intentionally Hurts People--And Makes Them Bleed

Asimov's First Law of Robotics is very clear: Robots may not harm people. Although there are certainly plenty of large robots, often used in manufacturing, that one would have to consider dangerous, roboticists have generally hewed to that rule. The "law," penned by science-fiction giant Isaac Asimov in his 1942 short story Runaround, was one of three rules, the second of which reads, "A robot must obey the orders given it by human beings except where such orders would conflict with the First Law." To be sure, accidents involving robots happen, like when someone gets too close to an industrial robot. But now a Berkeley, California man wants to start a robust conversation among ethicists, philosophers, lawyers, and others about where technology is going--and what dangers robots will present humanity in the future.