ABSTRACT
Science fiction stories—whether set on Earth or in a distant galaxy—are likely to feature intelligent machines, often as main characters. The theme of robots as slaves has continued since, from the classic Fritz Lang film Metropolis where a scientist creates the eerily feminine robot Maria as the first of a horde of robot workers, to the replicants in director Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner who are made to work for humanity as it settles distant planets. I, Robot, the 2004 Will Smith film loosely based on Asimov’s writings, prominently incorporated the Three Laws in its depiction of a 2035 civilization where robots are widely used and trusted to help humanity. Scientists like Stephen Hawking have issued warnings about the downside of embracing machine intelligence without sufficient forethought. Their stories might just be our best reminders to be wary as people head into the Artificial Intelligence (AI) future.
