Why robots need the ability to say ‘no’

[LuckyTheDog]

There are plenty of benign cases where robots receive commands that ideally should not be carried out because they lead to unwanted outcomes. But not all cases will be that innocuous, even if their commands initially appear to be.

Consider a robot car instructed to back up while the dog is sleeping in the driveway behind it, or a kitchen aid robot instructed to lift a knife and walk forward when positioned behind a human chef. The commands are simple, but the outcomes are significantly worse.

How can we humans avoid such harmful results of robot obedience? If driving around the dog were not possible, the car would have to refuse to drive at all. And similarly, if avoiding stabbing the chef were not possible, the robot would have to either stop walking forward or not pick up the knife in the first place.

MORE HERE: http://yonside.com/robots-need-ability-say-no/

[Binkie The Clown]

1. Asimov's three laws.

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

A robot must obey orders given 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.

Obviously those laws need to be extended to include harming innocent animals.

[snooper2]

4. Well, you forgot law #4, but it is classified

[LuckyTheDog]

7. Good advice for anyone, not just robots (nt)

[csziggy]

2. Program them with the Three Laws of Robotics

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 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 Law.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three_Laws_of_Robotics

Don't any of today's scientists or scientific writers read any of the classic science fiction that considered many of the conundrums that science would lead to?

[Binkie The Clown]

5. And they MUST be programmed not to vote Republican! n/t

[csziggy]

6. Or to found a religion

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reason_%28short_story%29

[tkmorris]

8. That's covered under Rule 1

[Orrex]

3. At a young age, they should be put in a pit with wild dogs.

They should be set to puzzle out from their proper clues the one of three doors that does not harbor wild lions. They should be made to run naked in the desert.