I, ROBOT
by Isaac Asimov
1950
Also a 2004 movie starring Will Smith
Watching Will Smith's 'I, Robot' was strangely revealing. I had read the book when I was quite young, 12, give or take. The realization of the impact the book has had on my life was quite shocking - all the more so when you consider the nature of the plot.
Writing in 1950 the case could easily be made that Asimov was extrapolating the warnings of Eisenhower and others regarding the military industrial complex into their manifestation with computer, and 'robotic' (a word Asimov is credited with coining') technology. As you will recall the movie explores the potential risks of even a responsible implementation of 'motive' computing technology. His foil was a doubting aquaintance of the inventor, Will Smith's gritty detective character.
The 'Three Laws of Robotics' are the 'hardwired' safeguards built into every robot. What surprised me watching this movie was realizing that Asimov, a crafty secularist, had 'programmed' me to respond to the military industrial complex?
Go figure.
BTW - Asimov died of tranfusion contracted Aids, a fact not publicized. He was born as a Russian Orthodox Jew, his parents emigrating before he learned to speak the language. He was trained as a Chemist and worked both as an engineer and a University Professor starting during WW2.
