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What are Isaac Asimov’s Three Laws of Robotics?

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Humanoid robot — robot ASIMO, a two-legged humanoid robot developed by the Honda Motor Co.

The Three Laws of Robotics are a set of ethical rules developed by science-fiction writer Isaac Asimov to govern the behavior of robots. First appearing in his 1942 short story "Runaround," these laws were designed to provide a framework for human-robot interactions.12

The laws are defined as follows:

First Law: A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm.12
Second Law: A robot must obey the orders given it by human beings except where such orders would conflict with the First Law.12
Third Law: A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Law.12

Asimov later introduced a "zeroth law" that supersedes the others, stating that a robot may not harm humanity or, by inaction, allow humanity to come to harm. These principles have become highly influential in discussions regarding technology, robotics, and artificial intelligence.1