Rules for Machines and Machine making Rules

I-Robot is a novel that contains different scenarios of humans and machines coexisting. One such story is about two men on the planet Mercury sent to repair the solar panels that power the base on Mercury. They have a significant issue; the robot they sent to collect materials is not coming back. If it does not come back, they will run out of electricity and burn to death on the planet. They cannot merely go a retrieve Speedy the Robot. They have suits that will protect them for a short while, but Speedy is too far away.

The robot was not working correctly because Speedy received a vague command. The men did not tell speedy to retrieve the selenium as fast as possible. The order did not seem like a necessity. The robot is not at fault because it is only following its programming. They follow three specific rules. They cannot let a human get hurt, they must obey every command as long as it does not violate rule one, and machines must ensure they survive without breaking the rules 1 and 2. Speedy is mixed between completing tasks and protecting the safety of itself. The humans try to solve this by booting up older robots that were put out of commission due to the advancement of technology. They use these outdated machines to increase the danger, so Speedy will come back instead of completing the task. The men learn that increasing the threat will only make Speedy stay farther away and circle. They understand that the only way is to use the first rule, human endangerment. One of the guys goes out into the sun and almost dies; therefore, Speedy comes back to save human life.

The ACM Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct is a set of rules used for people in the field of computing to follow to produce new technologies. These rules go hand in hand with rules machines follow to protect the wellbeing of themselves and humans. One of the ACM guidelines is to avoid harm. New technologies could accidentally harm others if thought is not put into creating new machines and software. When Speedy was made, they could have added a safety protocol that would recall the robot after a certain period. Another solution will have Speedy return if it runs into a code loop. Protecting safety is an important rule to follow when making technology. Airplanes had two control sticks that looked very similar. People did not think to make them distinct and this resulted in the loss of life. Many mistakes have been made and this is why this guideline exists.

In another chapter of I-Robot, the same characters on Mercury are on a space station that collects the sun’s energy and sends it to earth. They build a robot to run the station because it is too dangerous for humans. The robot they create has a mind of its own. They try to tell it they made it. The machine is rather inquisitive and refuses to believe them. It finds the control room of the space station and believes that the room created them. It starts a religion around the space station and denies the men access. It does not break any of the rules. The men think the robot will not run the station because of this silly cult the machine formed. To their surprise, the robot handles a chaotic situation on its own. Weirdly, the robot ends up following its orders to run the station. Not understanding the machine brings another ACM rule into question, be honest and trustworthy. This rule is so that it is clear how coding and machinery works. The people who shipped the robot parts to the space station should have explained this in the instructions that this could happen. Instructions or a warning would have made the situation less stressful for the humans on board.

ACM rules are essential for making new software and technology. It all can be misused and harm others. I see I-Robot as a way to try and teach readers how machines could fail and what rules could be in place to try and solve them. They have a decent baseline to prevent robots from disobeying or even harming their users, and they have a rule that protects the robot itself. More restrictions could be added to make robots function more smoothly alongside others.