You've been reading too much Asimov when...

[dmaze]

Say a positronic robot, programmed with the standard Three Laws, became aware that a human being had a skin condition -- no, better, something actually dangerous, like an ulcer -- that was aggravated by stress. Would that robot then not be compelled by the First Law to place that human in a minimum-stress, maximum-comfort environment?

Comments

[chenoameg.livejournal.com]

Yet another example of why the three laws don't work in the actual world.

Preventing suffering is too complicated.

[firstfrost.livejournal.com]

That's kind of the premise of "With Folded Hands", I think. (They follow "To serve and obey and guard men from harm" rather than the Asimovian laws, but do take it to your further extreme.)

Oddly, I don't think I've *read* this, but it's seeped into my brain anyway.

[nuclearpolymer.livejournal.com]

Hmmm. Is it not the case that the human immune system is weakened by mental stress, and so it might be the robot's duty to "domesticate" all people, raising them all in sterile, low-stress environments?

[nuclearpolymer.livejournal.com]

Actually, sterile, low-stress, calorie-limited environments. The robot would have to destroy Krispe Kreme. But wait, that might cause stress.