The Ethical Dilemmas of the “Three Laws of Robotics” in Isaac Asimov’s Runaround (1942) and Little Lost Robot (1947)

Document Type : Original Article

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Faculty of Arts,- Delta university for Science and Technology

Abstract

This paper examines the ethical dilemmas presented by Isaac Asimov’s Three Laws of Robotics in his stories Runaround (1942) and Little Lost Robot (1947). The Laws are analyzed and reevaluated within the framework of the ethical theories of Immanuel Kant’s deontology and Jeremy Bentham’s utilitarianism. The analysis demonstrates the ethical conflicts between deontology’s rigid adherence to universal moral absolutes and utilitarianism’s emphasis on maximizing societal welfare. This is through illustrating Asimov’s critical insights into contemporary debates on artificial intelligence ethics and regulation, prompting a re-evaluation of human responsibility, human-robot trust, and the boundaries of robotic autonomy. The stories reveal the limitations of Asimov’s Laws in addressing real-world complexities, exposing their inability to guarantee consistent ethical behavior in artificial intelligence systems. Furthermore, this study introduces a novel perspective on the interplay between ethical theory and speculative fiction, underscoring the practical value of Asimov’s narratives in shaping forward-thinking approaches to robotic legislation and ethical programming

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