The prediction, in brief:

Will increasingly lethal weapons be mounted on “robot cops”? Will autonomous robots with AI brains ever be given decision-making powers? … Isaac Asimov’s “Runaround,” a short story published in Astounding Science Fiction in 1942, introduced the word robotics as well as Asimov’s Three Laws of Robotics, which have since become part of scientific folklore. The first law – “a robot may not injure a human being, or through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm” – is clearly open for review in light of current events.

Predictor: Branwyn, Gareth

Prediction, in context:

In a 1994 article for Wired magazine, Gareth Branwyn analyzes the issues surrounding the use of machines for law enforcement. Branwyn writes:”Will increasingly lethal weapons be mounted on ‘robot cops?’ Will autonomous robots with AI brains ever be given decision-making powers? What is the likely future of the robots that The Washington Times labeled, with eerie enthusiasm, ‘inhuman colleagues’ in U.S. law enforcement? The word robot was first used in 1920 by Czech author Karel Capek, who derived it from robota, a Czech word meaning serf or slave. When Capek’s play about the dehumanization of man, R.U.R. (Rossum’s Universal Robots), was translated into English, the word robot quickly gained currency. Isaac Asimov’s ‘Runaround,’ a short story published in Astounding Science Fiction in 1942, introduced the word robotics as well as Asimov’s Three Laws of Robotics, which have since become part of scientific folklore. The first law – ‘a robot may not injure a human being, or through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm’ – is clearly open for review in light of current events.”

Biography:

Gareth Branwyn served as editor of Street Tech Labs and as the “Jargon Watch” editor of Wired. He wrote for Esquire, I.D., Yahoo! and other magazines. His books include “Jargon Watch: A Pocket Dictionary for the Jitterati” and “Jamming the Media: A Citizen’s Guide.” (Author/Editor/Journalist.)

Date of prediction: January 1, 1994

Topic of prediction: Global Relationships/Politics

Subtopic: Peacekeeping/Warfare

Name of publication: Wired

Title, headline, chapter name: Hard-Nosed Cops? Crime in the Age of Intelligent Machines

Quote Type: Direct quote

Page number or URL of document at time of study:
http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/2.04/robot.cops_pr.html

This data was logged into the Elon/Pew Predictions Database by: Anderson, Janna Quitney