Glossary Entry: Three Laws of Robotics

The Three Laws of Robotics are a fictional set of rules that govern the way robots or intelligent software operates. They are meant to prevent these AIs from turning on humanity, which is often viewed as an overused cliche.

Robots that are governed by these rules are typically said to be "Three Laws compliant".

Although these rules were created by Isaac Asimov for his science fiction works, they have become very popular and are found in many stories today. In reality, a robot will always do exactly what its programming dictates, which may lead to serious injury or death if the humans around it aren't careful.

The Three Laws, as state in Asimov's story Runaround are: 1. A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm.

2. A robot must obey the orders given it by human beings except where such orders would conflict with the First Law. 3. A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Laws.