Bicentennial Man, I, Robot, and Isaac Asimov

20210113 There's such a thing as the Three Laws of Robotics — the operating principles for robots that #IsaacAsimov, the original author behind films like #BicentennialMan and #IRobot, laid out in his own work. 1. A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm. 2. A robot must obey any orders given by human beings, except where such orders would conflict with the First Law. 3. A robot must protect its own existence, except where doing so would conflict with the First or Second Law. A Korean AI startup's chatbot, 'Iruda,' ran into trouble after it absorbed users' distorted views on gender and outright hate speech, and the service was eventually suspended. According to its developers, Iruda is like a small child who has only just begun talking with people, and still has a lot to learn. We should give some grace to the trial and error that comes with technological progress, but when you consider how the public actually trains AI, it's worth thinking more carefully about what effect that might have on people. There's a lot to think carefully about these days. Luckily, today's breakfast doesn't require any careful thought at all — grilled green onions, ready in 10 minutes. They say winter scallions are as good as a tonic. Heat olive oil in a pan and grill the scallions. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Blanch a sausage in boiling water, then finish it with a quick sear in the pan alongside the scallions.