Io, Robot

Isaac Asimov: I, Robot (Paperback, 1984, Del Rey) 4 stars

I read it in dribs and drabs over the past few months. Although obviously anachronistic about robotic hardware, computer technology, and gender relations since it was written so long ago it was still a great exploration of how "the three laws" of robotics plays out in life scenarios. I loved the vignette style format and its attempt to deep dive into the technical problems being explored. I can see why all that is way too dry for others though.

Das Buch beschäftigt sich in mehreren voneinander Unabhängigen Erzählungen mit der Entwicklung von Robotern und insbesondere mit den Widersprüchlichkeiten, die aus den drei Gesetzen der Robotik entstehen.

Als Ergänzung zu den Foundation Romanen interessant, bleibt es aber qualitativ hinter ihnen zurück.

In the age oflarge language models, revisiting Isaac Asimov's I, Robot feels like peering into a prophetic mirror. While the robots of his stories clack around on positronic brains, the underlying anxieties about artificial intelligence and its ethical boundaries hold an eerie prescience. Anyway, I, Robot isn't just a collection of sci-fi short stories; it's a cornerstone of the genre. While the technological specifics might feel dated (slide rules anyone?), the core themes remain startlingly relevant.
The book revolves around Susan Calvin, a brilliant roboticist, and the Three Laws of Robotics, which govern the behavior of robots. Each story presents a seemingly unsolvable problem caused by a malfunctioning robot. Calvin must untangle the complexities of robotic logic and the Three Laws to find a solution, often revealing profound truths about humanity and our relationship with technology.