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 No. Certainly not likely.
 In fact, if there s any other explanation for the crime, any other
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conceivable explanation, it should be considered.
Dr. Gerrigel looked more uncomfortable than ever as he sat bolt upright with
his well-kept hands precisely folded in his lap.  Do you have an alternate
explanation in mind?
 Yes. It occurs to me that a robot, for instance, would have no difficulty at
all in crossing open country.
Dr. Gerrigel stood up.  Oh, my dear sir!
 What s wrong?
 You mean a robot may have committed the crime?
 Why not?
 Murder? Of a human being?
 Yes. Please sit down, Doctor.
The roboticist did as he was told. He said,  Mr. Baley, there are two acts
involved: walking cross country, and murder. A human being could commit the
latter easily, but would find difficulty in doing the former. A robot could do
the former easily, but the latter act would be completely impossible. If
you re going to replace an unlikely theory by an impossible one--
 Impossible is a hell of a strong word, Doctor.
 You ve heard of the First Law of Robotics, Mr. Baley?
 Sure. I can even quote it: A robot may not injure a human being, or, through
inaction, allow a human being to come to harm. Baley suddenly pointed a
finger at the roboticist and went on,  Why can t a robot be built without the
First Law? What s so sacred about it?
Dr. Gerrigel looked startled, then tittered,  Oh, Mr. Baley.
 Well, what s the answer?
 Surely, Mr. Baley, if you even know a little about robotics, you must know
the gigantic task involved, both mathematically and electronically, in
building a positronic brain.
 I have an idea, said Baley. He remembered well his visit to a robot factory
once in the way of business. He had seen their library of book-films, long
ones, each of which contained the mathematical analysis of a single type of
positronic brain. It took more than an hour for the average such film to be
viewed at standard scanning speed, condensed though its symbolisms were. And
no two brains were alike, even when prepared according to the most rigid
specifications. That, Baley understood, was a consequence of Heisenberg s
Uncertainty Principle. This meant that each film had to be supplemented by
appendices involving possible variations.
Oh, it was a job, all right. Baley wouldn t deny that.
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Dr. Gerrigel said,  Well, then, you must understand that a design for a new
type of positronic brain, even one where only minor innovations are involved,
is not the matter of a night s work. It usually involves the entire research
staff of a moderately sized factory and takes anywhere up to a year of time.
Even this large expenditure of work would not be nearly enough if it were not
that the basic theory of such circuits has already been standardized and may
be used as a foundation for further elaboration. The standard basic theory
involves the Three Laws of Robotics: the First Law, which you ve quoted; the
Second Law, which states,  A robot must obey the orders given it by human
beings except where such orders would conflict with the First Law, and the
Third Law, which states,  A robot must protect its own existence as long as
such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Law. Do you
understand?
R. Daneel, who, to all appearances, had been following the conversation with
close attention, broke in.
 If you will excuse me, Elijah, I would like to see if I follow Dr. Gerrigel.
What you imply, sir, is that any attempt to build a robot, the working of
whose positronic brain is not oriented about the Three Laws, would require
first the setting up of a new basic theory and that this, in turn, would take
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many years.
The roboticist looked very gratified.  That is exactly what I mean.
Mr. Baley waited a moment, then carefully introduced R. Daneel:  This is
Daneel Olivaw, Dr. Gerrigel.
 Good day, Mr. Olivaw. Dr. Gerrigel extended his hand and shook Daneel s. He
went on,  It is my estimation that it would take fifty years to develop the
basic theory of a non-Asenion positronic brain--that is, one in which the
basic assumptions of the Three Laws are disallowed--and bring it to the point
where robots similar to modern models could be constructed.
 And this has never been done? asked Baley.  I mean, Doctor, that we ve been
building robots for several thousand years. In all that time, hasn t anybody
or any group had fifty years to spare?
 Certainly, said the roboticist,  but it is not the sort of work that anyone
would care to do.
 I find that hard to believe. Human curiosity will undertake anything.
 It hasn t undertaken the non-Asenion robot. The human race, Mr. Baley, has a
strong Frankenstein complex.
 A what?
 That s a popular name derived from a Medieval novel describing a robot that
turned on its creator. I
never read the novel myself. But that s beside the point. What I wish to say
is that robots without the
First Law are simply not built.
 And no theory for it even exists?
 Not to my knowledge, and my knowledge, he smiled self-consciously,  is
rather extensive.
 And a robot with a First Law built in could not kill a man?
 Never. Unless such killing were completely accidental or unless it were
necessary to save the lives of two or more men. In either case, the positronic
potential built up would ruin the brain past recovery.
 All right, said Baley.  All this represents the situation on Earth. Right?
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 Yes. Certainly.
 What about the Outer Worlds?
Some of Dr. Gerrigel s self-assurance seemed to ooze away.  Oh dear, Mr.
Baley, I couldn t say of my own knowledge, but I m sure that if non-Asenion
positronic brains were ever designed or if the mathematical theory were worked
out, we d hear of it.
 Would we? Well, let me follow up another thought in my mind, Dr. Gerrigel. I
hope you don t mind.
 No. Not at all. He looked helplessly first at Baley, then at R. Daneel.
 After all, if it is as important as you say, I m glad to do all I can.
 Thank you, Doctor. My question is, why humanoid robots? I mean that I ve been
taking them for granted all my life, but now it occurs to me that I don t know [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]