What If You Own An Asimov’s Robot?
Isaac Asimov, a master of science fiction, wrote extensively about robots in a futuristic world. These robots are guided by three fundamental principles at all times. These principles have come to be known as the three laws of robotics. Following these, a robot can never harm a human and always obeys its master. These robots are also described as very intelligent and capable of doing almost any task that a human is capable of.
Based on this fiction, I asked myself the question: “What if every human owns an Asimov’s robot?”
Whatever people are meant to do, they would simply order their robots to do it. In the current socio-economic setting, as it is, if each person is given an Asimov’s robot, the person would get done with the robot all the work she was doing earlier. This would be possible as the robot is capable enough. What would people do then? This seemingly irrelevant question that popped up in my mind several times over has made be ponder about industrial development, current work hours, income inequalities among people, leisure, art and happiness. After all, if we compare the machine usage and productivity in the pre-historic ages to the current times, we have come a long way through with all the machines that work for us.
on March 24th, 2009 at 12:40 am
Work fills the spare time. People expected machines and tools to make their life easy. Thus they HOPED to spend more time pursuing their hobbies. Cars make travel faster so people have moved out of the city (living in the city is expensive). Computers make computation faster but people are working more on computers than earlier with juts a calculator.
If everyone owned an Asimov people would find other ways to fk up their life.
on March 24th, 2009 at 12:34 pm
> If everyone owned an Asimov people would find other ways to fk up their life.
Which probably means we are doing that right now.
on March 25th, 2009 at 12:19 am
Ian M. Banks: Culture series.
on March 25th, 2009 at 11:08 am
Devdas said:
> Ian M. Banks: Culture series.
Devdas, thanks for the recommendation. I shall try to acquire these books and read them.
on June 4th, 2009 at 11:20 am
If every human owns an Asimov’s robot,there will be no work for people to do, Now a days people stopped thinking of their own and totally depending on Computers.