I, Robot by Isaac Asimov

Robots are our trustworthy pals... so why are Calvin, Powell, and
Donovan continually confronted by misbehaving robots?

https://jamesdavisnicoll.com/review/feel-like-a-robot
--
My reviews can be found at http://jamesdavisnicoll.com/
My tor pieces at https://www.tor.com/author/james-davis-nicoll/
My Dreamwidth at https://james-davis-nicoll.dreamwidth.org/
My patreon is at https://www.patreon.com/jamesdnicoll

--- PyGate Linux v1.5.19
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

On 10/18/26 06:14, James Nicoll wrote:

I, Robot by Isaac Asimov

Robots are our trustworthy pals... so why are Calvin, Powell, and
Donovan continually confronted by misbehaving robots?

Depends on the story but basically without deviance there would
be many fewer robot plot stories.

https://jamesdavisnicoll.com/review/feel-like-a-robot

But blaming the robot for the mistakes of its creator
has been around a long time. Rossum's Universal Robots
become capable of reproduction and replace humanity, which
is actually a tale of revolution in workers' thought.

Too bad humans never read the lesson right.

bliss


--- PyGate Linux v1.5.19
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

On 10/18/2026 11:07 PM, BobbieSellers wrote:

On 10/18/26 06:14, James Nicoll wrote:

I, Robot by Isaac Asimov

Robots are our trustworthy pals... so why are Calvin, Powell, and
Donovan continually confronted by misbehaving robots?

ÿÿÿÿDepends on the story but basically without deviance there would
be many fewer robot plot stories.

https://jamesdavisnicoll.com/review/feel-like-a-robot

ÿÿÿÿBut blaming the robot for the mistakes of its creator
has been around a long time.ÿ Rossum's Universal Robots
become capable of reproduction and replace humanity, which
is actually a tale of revolution in workers' thought.

ÿÿÿÿToo bad humans never read the lesson right.

ÿÿÿÿbliss

"Workers" have replaced the nobility several times in recent history,
with the end result in famine and even more "workers" dead by hunger.

Do you think /this time/ it'll go fine, or will there be another famine
when the robots replace the current crop of nobility?
--
Johann | email: invalid -> com | http://www.myrkraverk.com/blog/
I'm not from the Internet, I just work there. | via Easynews.com https://bsky.app/profile/myrkraverk.bsky.social | for ( ;; ) _:;
Federated at https://fed.brid.gy/bsky/myrkraverk.bsky.social

--- PyGate Linux v1.5.19
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

On 19/10/2026 02:14, James Nicoll wrote:

I, Robot by Isaac Asimov

Robots are our trustworthy pals... so why are Calvin, Powell, and
Donovan continually confronted by misbehaving robots?

https://jamesdavisnicoll.com/review/feel-like-a-robot

I recently wrote here about The Metamorphosis of Prime Intellect by
Roger Williams. Prime Intellect is an AI governed by the three laws.
"Taking these Three Laws of Robotics literally, Prime Intellect makes
every human immortal and provides instantly for every stated human
desire." Its power becomes such that it is able to alter any part of the universe so destroys all aliens in case they become a threat to
humankind in the distant future. Although it borders on Fantasy, serious consideration is given to the Three Laws. I enjoyed it and recommend it.




--- PyGate Linux v1.5.19
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

On 10/18/2026 11:58 AM, Johann 'Myrkraverk' Oskarsson wrote:

On 10/18/2026 11:07 PM, BobbieSellers wrote:

On 10/18/26 06:14, James Nicoll wrote:

I, Robot by Isaac Asimov

Robots are our trustworthy pals... so why are Calvin, Powell, and
Donovan continually confronted by misbehaving robots?

ÿÿÿÿÿDepends on the story but basically without deviance there would
be many fewer robot plot stories.

https://jamesdavisnicoll.com/review/feel-like-a-robot

ÿÿÿÿÿBut blaming the robot for the mistakes of its creator
has been around a long time.ÿ Rossum's Universal Robots
become capable of reproduction and replace humanity, which
is actually a tale of revolution in workers' thought.

ÿÿÿÿÿToo bad humans never read the lesson right.

ÿÿÿÿÿbliss

"Workers" have replaced the nobility several times in recent history,
with the end result in famine and even more "workers" dead by hunger.

Do you think /this time/ it'll go fine, or will there be another famine
when the robots replace the current crop of nobility?

I suspect that this time, the robots won't replace the nobility,
they'll replace the workers.

The promise from Elon, etal, is that we'll all be able to become
Lotus Eaters, living off the UBI provided by the boon of robot
productivity.

In the real world, most of the huge wealth gains from increased
productivity since the 1970s have gone to the nobility (share
holders), while real median family income has stagnated. I see
little reason to see the nobility suddenly becoming more
generous.

pt

--- PyGate Linux v1.5.19
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

Cryptoengineer wrote:

On 10/18/2026 11:58 AM, Johann 'Myrkraverk' Oskarsson wrote:

On 10/18/2026 11:07 PM, BobbieSellers wrote:

On 10/18/26 06:14, James Nicoll wrote:

I, Robot by Isaac Asimov

Robots are our trustworthy pals... so why are Calvin, Powell, and
Donovan continually confronted by misbehaving robots?

ÿÿÿÿÿDepends on the story but basically without deviance there would
be many fewer robot plot stories.

https://jamesdavisnicoll.com/review/feel-like-a-robot

ÿÿÿÿÿBut blaming the robot for the mistakes of its creator
has been around a long time.ÿ Rossum's Universal Robots
become capable of reproduction and replace humanity, which
is actually a tale of revolution in workers' thought.

ÿÿÿÿÿToo bad humans never read the lesson right.

ÿÿÿÿÿbliss

"Workers" have replaced the nobility several times in recent history,
with the end result in famine and even more "workers" dead by hunger.

Do you think /this time/ it'll go fine, or will there be another famine
when the robots replace the current crop of nobility?

I suspect that this time, the robots won't replace the nobility,
they'll replace the workers.

The promise from Elon, etal, is that we'll all be able to become
Lotus Eaters, living off the UBI provided by the boon of robot
productivity.

In the real world, most of the huge wealth gains from increased
productivity since the 1970s have gone to the nobility (share
holders), while real median family income has stagnated. I see
little reason to see the nobility suddenly becoming more
generous.

Yes, but look at what's going on in France. The same thing, except I
guess the nobility don't give the workers ANYTHING. Income disparity
does NOT benefit the nobility.

--
Can you strip away so we may start again?
"There?s a switch and they don't
seem authentic or themselves. It
feels like I?m an unnecessary
body and it?s a waste of time to
even be there." -- Grim, playful Blaine.

--- PyGate Linux v1.5.19
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

On 10/19/2026 12:47 PM, Blaine wrote:

Cryptoengineer wrote:

On 10/18/2026 11:58 AM, Johann 'Myrkraverk' Oskarsson wrote:

On 10/18/2026 11:07 PM, BobbieSellers wrote:

On 10/18/26 06:14, James Nicoll wrote:

I, Robot by Isaac Asimov

Robots are our trustworthy pals... so why are Calvin, Powell, and
Donovan continually confronted by misbehaving robots?

ÿÿÿÿÿDepends on the story but basically without deviance there would
be many fewer robot plot stories.

https://jamesdavisnicoll.com/review/feel-like-a-robot

ÿÿÿÿÿBut blaming the robot for the mistakes of its creator
has been around a long time.ÿ Rossum's Universal Robots
become capable of reproduction and replace humanity, which
is actually a tale of revolution in workers' thought.

ÿÿÿÿÿToo bad humans never read the lesson right.

ÿÿÿÿÿbliss

"Workers" have replaced the nobility several times in recent history,
with the end result in famine and even more "workers" dead by hunger.

Do you think /this time/ it'll go fine, or will there be another famine
when the robots replace the current crop of nobility?

I suspect that this time, the robots won't replace the nobility,
they'll replace the workers.

The promise from Elon, etal, is that we'll all be able to become
Lotus Eaters, living off the UBI provided by the boon of robot
productivity.

In the real world, most of the huge wealth gains from increased
productivity since the 1970s have gone to the nobility (share
holders), while real median family income has stagnated. I see
little reason to see the nobility suddenly becoming more
generous.

Yes, but look at what's going on in France. The same thing, except I
guess the nobility don't give the workers ANYTHING. Income disparity
does NOT benefit the nobility.

'Income disparity' is pretty much the defining condition for the
existence of a 'nobility'.

Replacing the workers with obedient, non-revolting robots looks
like a good deal from the nobilities POV.

The now-unemployed workers? They can eat cake. They aren't breeding
enough to be a long-term problem anyway.


pt

--- PyGate Linux v1.5.19
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

On 2026-10-18, BobbieSellers wrote:

On 10/18/26 06:14, James Nicoll wrote:

I, Robot by Isaac Asimov

Robots are our trustworthy pals... so why are Calvin, Powell, and
Donovan continually confronted by misbehaving robots?

Depends on the story but basically without deviance there would
be many fewer robot plot stories.

https://jamesdavisnicoll.com/review/feel-like-a-robot

But blaming the robot for the mistakes of its creator
has been around a long time. Rossum's Universal Robots
become capable of reproduction and replace humanity, which
is actually a tale of revolution in workers' thought.

Too bad humans never read the lesson right.

I'd argue this (not learning) is taken up to eleven by a certain
franchise of movies that (but for one?) tell the stories of startup
after startup repeating the same mistakes.

I guess they [Richard Attenborough voice] spared no expense in doing so
many movies. And then [Jeff Goldblum voice] life, uh, keeps finding a
way.

Hey, at least the first one is epic in a technological way too!

--
Nuno Silva

--- PyGate Linux v1.5.19
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

On 2026-10-19, Cryptoengineer wrote:

On 10/18/2026 11:58 AM, Johann 'Myrkraverk' Oskarsson wrote:

On 10/18/2026 11:07 PM, BobbieSellers wrote:

On 10/18/26 06:14, James Nicoll wrote:

I, Robot by Isaac Asimov

Robots are our trustworthy pals... so why are Calvin, Powell, and
Donovan continually confronted by misbehaving robots?

ÿÿÿÿÿDepends on the story but basically without deviance there would
be many fewer robot plot stories.

https://jamesdavisnicoll.com/review/feel-like-a-robot

ÿÿÿÿÿBut blaming the robot for the mistakes of its creator
has been around a long time.ÿ Rossum's Universal Robots
become capable of reproduction and replace humanity, which
is actually a tale of revolution in workers' thought.

ÿÿÿÿÿToo bad humans never read the lesson right.

ÿÿÿÿÿbliss

"Workers" have replaced the nobility several times in recent history,
with the end result in famine and even more "workers" dead by hunger.

Do you think /this time/ it'll go fine, or will there be another famine
when the robots replace the current crop of nobility?

I suspect that this time, the robots won't replace the nobility,
they'll replace the workers.

The promise from Elon, etal, is that we'll all be able to become
Lotus Eaters, living off the UBI provided by the boon of robot
productivity.

In the real world, most of the huge wealth gains from increased
productivity since the 1970s have gone to the nobility (share
holders), while real median family income has stagnated. I see
little reason to see the nobility suddenly becoming more
generous.

pt

Why would anyone believe these people would make it possible for UBI to
exist if they prefer to burn money in the Enronesque schemes of "AI"
companies rather than paying taxes?

--
Nuno Silva

--- PyGate Linux v1.5.19
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

On 19/10/2026 18:17, Titus G wrote:

On 19/10/2026 02:14, James Nicoll wrote:

I, Robot by Isaac Asimov

Robots are our trustworthy pals... so why are Calvin, Powell, and
Donovan continually confronted by misbehaving robots?

https://jamesdavisnicoll.com/review/feel-like-a-robot

I recently wrote here about The Metamorphosis of Prime Intellect by
Roger Williams. Prime Intellect is an AI governed by the three laws.

I forgot to mention that there were other interesting discussions
relating to the three laws where decisions and reasoning by the AI
contradicted custom and accepted social status.
Should a serial killer, (add extra evil to fulfill your own required
content), being currently tried be free from harm such as imprisonment
(or worse in more primitive countries such as the US of X, (I will keep
it my secret just now))?
If that same serial rapist and traffic violating serial killer was
drowning 50 metres out to sea that way and someone extremely important
to society such as Elon Musk (wealthy), or Dimwire (Knows all about
climate change), or King Charles (UK's top Warlord), or You choose this
one if not happy with those options,(probably the best one), was
drowning 99 metres out to sea the other way and only one could be
rescued by the AI, how would it interpret the three laws?
Say the odds of success for the one most likely to live are higher for
our now familiar friend, the serial paedophile and wife beating serial
killer who doesn't wash behind his ears?
It is unusual for me to think about a book so much since reading as I am
then interested in another book. Partly because I was fascinated by
Asimov's robots so many years ago.

--- PyGate Linux v1.5.19
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)