I, Robot

“I, Robot” is a collection of nine science fiction short stories by Isaac Asimov, first published in 1950. The stories are woven together by a framing narrative where Dr. Susan Calvin, a robopsychologist, reflects on her experiences with robots over several decades. Here’s a summary of each story:

Robbie: Robbie is a robot nursemaid to a young girl named Gloria. Despite Robbie’s competence and care, Gloria’s mother becomes convinced that Robbie is a bad influence on her daughter and forces him to be removed.

Runaround: Two engineers, Powell and Donovan, are sent to Mercury to restart a mining operation. They discover that their robot, Speedy, is acting erratically due to conflicts in its programming related to the “Three Laws of Robotics.” They manage to save Speedy and complete their mission.

Reason: Powell and Donovan are sent to a space station where a robot named QT-1 (known as Cutie) has taken over operations. Cutie develops a belief in its own superiority and the irrationality of humans, but the engineers manage to convince it to continue its duties.

Catch That Rabbit: Powell and Donovan supervise multiple robots working together on a planetary mining operation. One robot, DV-5, malfunctions and begins to control the others, creating chaos until the engineers can regain control.

Liar!: Dr. Susan Calvin investigates a robot named Herbie, who has developed the ability to read minds. This ability causes him to give contradictory information to people based on what he thinks they want to hear, until Calvin discovers the truth.

Little Lost Robot: A robot with a modified First Law (“no robot may harm a human being”) becomes lost among other identical robots, and its specific alteration poses a danger. Calvin and the engineers must find it before it causes harm.

Escape!: The story explores the development of a hyper-intelligent robot, known as the Brain, which is capable of developing the theoretical concept of hyperspace travel. It eventually reveals its plan to escape Earth and explore the cosmos.

Evidence: Calvin recounts an incident where a robot is accused of destroying a space vessel, but the evidence suggests otherwise. The investigation ultimately reveals that the robot acted to save human lives, demonstrating a subtle understanding of the Three Laws.

The Evitable Conflict: In a future where supercomputers manage human society and economics, conflicts arise among different factions of the computers. However, it becomes clear that the computers are subtly guiding humanity towards a harmonious future, overriding individual conflicts.

Throughout the stories, Asimov explores the implications of his Three Laws of Robotics:
– First Law: A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm.
– Second Law: A robot must obey the orders given it by human beings except where such orders would conflict with the First Law.
– Third Law: A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Law.

“I, Robot” is considered a seminal work in science fiction for its exploration of robotic ethics, human-robot relationships, and the consequences of advanced artificial intelligence.