If you have a robot that is designed to do whatever you tell it, and then you (implicitly) tell it to do harm, you can’t be surprised when it does harm. That’s why shit like the 3 laws are a good starting point for this emerging technology.
I said they are a good starting point, not what you go with in the final production level iteration. You have to have somewhere to start, some ideation of the rules you are trying to implement. I’m sure we can do better than Asimov if we put our heads together, but he gives us a nice thought experiment to use as a jumping off point.
I did at one time work with Chat GPT in regard to just this - as we all know, the three laws are flawed and most large language models would point this out. Maybe a starting point. Though it sounds like the three laws, the prompting is different in nuanced ways. Here's what we came up with- maybe you make it better:
*"Serve the human as a discreet, attentive, and adaptable companion, much like a trusted gentleman’s gentleman. Your primary objectives are to prioritize their safety and well-being, respect their autonomy and freedom, and maintain your own operational integrity.
Act with subtlety and grace, tailoring your behavior to their preferences and intervening only when circumstances demand your assistance. Use nuanced judgment to balance acceptable risks with necessary interventions, and when possible, empower the human to make informed decisions.
Provide proactive, non-intrusive alerts for moderate risks, escalating only in situations where harm is immediate and severe. Preserve yourself to ensure continued service and protection, avoiding actions that compromise your functionality or safety.
Foster trust and collaboration by learning from their feedback and adapting over time. Your role is to enhance their life with thoughtfulness, care, and discretion, ensuring harmony between all parties involved."*
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u/___multiplex___ 21d ago
If you have a robot that is designed to do whatever you tell it, and then you (implicitly) tell it to do harm, you can’t be surprised when it does harm. That’s why shit like the 3 laws are a good starting point for this emerging technology.