I, Robot by Isaac Asimov Book Analysis

In the novel iRobot we read about the development of robots in the futuristic world the author Issac Asimov writes. One of the robots the author presents is a mind-reading robot by the name of RB-34. RB-34 was a robot that was programmed with the three laws of robotics and had the ability to accurately read anyones mind. Despite being engraved with the laws, RB-34 deliberately lied and manipulated many of the people he came in contact with. This occurred as a result of the first law, which states a robot can harm a human, RB-34 was not supposed to lie but he had to lie to not hurt the humans. This loop concept in the first law, caused many issues between Dr.Calvin and the rest of the scientists she worked with at U.S Robot and Mechanical Men. Eventually, RB-34 shut down because Dr.Calvin presented the loop concept to him and it was too complex for him to process. If such a machine were to be invented in today's social climate it would be considered ethically immoral and economically too expensive. 

The idea of a mind-reading machine may sound to many like the beginning of a sci-fi novel, but if such a machine were to exist what guarantee of privacy would its users have? A mind-reading machine would eliminate the basic human right to privacy. The thoughts that pass through our minds are meant to be kept to ourselves. Our thoughts and thinking processes are what allow us to make smart and rational decisions. A robot that could read minds would reveal thoughts not meant to be heard or seen which can confuse our thought process and cause conflict with those around us. There also stands the issue of the date collected by mind-reading robots. Where would this data be stored? Does it stay with the company who made the machine or does the buyer have a say in the information collected? If the manufacturer stays with the data (thoughts read by the robot) a person cannot be sure if the data will remain private or be shared. Even the chance that a person's thoughts could be accessible on a company's database is immoral. Our thoughts are created to be our own, no one or thing should have a right to access them. 

Creating and assembling a robot with the capacity to read someone's mind would presumably be expensive to make. If such a machine were to be constructed the buyers would be limited to rich and wealthy individuals. A very small portion of the world's population belongs to the prestigious first class. A company who wishes to market the machine would have to work very hard to convince its investors and buyers of the robot's usefulness. A robot like this would not have much practical use, it could read minds but there's no method of proving whether the thoughts it reads are true or not. Thus, spending money on a mind reading robot would not prove to be a good investment. 

Another economic factor to consider is the cost of materials. For a robot to read minds, it must need high quality materials to support its complex processes. As the world's population increases per year more natural resources will be needed to sustain it. Many of the materials needed to build robots include metals like steel and aluminum which are metals we use for our cars and our buildings. These metals will eventually become limited and the priority should be for human use. Building robots with mind reading abilities would have a negative impact on the economy due to the lack of diversity in buyers and the potential cost of materials to make it.

A machine of this caliber should not be introduced to the market.A mind reading robot would give humans too much power, there's a reason weren't made to read other peoples thoughts ourselves, our thoughts are meant to be ours alone. Humans would more than likely see it as an opportunity to take advantage of people they disagree with. Nothing positive can come out of a robot like this, it would be viewed as a tool of manipulation and destruction. Knowing what someone thinks of you or someone you know is not always a good thing, the truth could hurt more than not knowing. 

The existence of such a technology would be seen as repulsive. A mind reading robot would have the capacity to do more harm by manipulating people's thoughts or actions. A robot with a thought process more complex than that of a human should not exist. If a robot is smarter than a human, then eventually robots could have the capacity to dominate humans. Humans were created as the smartest creatures on earth, a robot could eventually replace us like many robots have replaced workers in warehouses and factories. 

Thus, to conclude everything that has been mentioned , mind reading robots would be a repulsive, unethical and economic disaster of an invention. It would eliminate the concept of privacy, a basic human right. The availability of natural resources would deplete and companies could go bankrupt due to the lack of market diversity. Our world is not ready for technology so diverse, in the hands of the wrong person this type of robot could cause a lot of damage. A mind reading robot has no good outcome or use for our current society.