All Notes Project Overview
Updated October 21, 2025

Isaac Asimov

Isaac Asimov (1920-1992) was a prolific American writer and biochemist who had a profound impact on science fiction, particularly in shaping fictional portrayals of robots and artificial intelligence. His influential concepts continue to inform both literary and real-world discussions of AI ethics and development.

Biography

Born in Petrovichi, Russia (then Soviet Union) on January 2, 1920, Asimov immigrated to the United States with his family at age three. He grew up in Brooklyn, New York, where his parents owned a candy store. Asimov earned his PhD in biochemistry from Columbia University and briefly taught at Boston University School of Medicine.

Despite his scientific background, Asimov is best known for his extraordinary literary output. He authored or edited more than 500 books across multiple genres, though he is most celebrated for his science fiction and popular science works. He died on April 6, 1992, from complications related to HIV contracted during a blood transfusion.

Key Contributions to AI in Fiction

Asimov’s most enduring contribution to AI discourse is the Three Laws of Robotics, introduced in his 1942 short story “Runaround”:

  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 the orders given it by human beings except where such orders would conflict with the First Law.
  3. A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Law.

Asimov later added a “Zeroth Law”: A robot may not harm humanity, or, by inaction, allow humanity to come to harm.

These laws established a framework for thinking about machine ethics that continues to influence both fiction and real-world robotics research.

Major Works Featuring AI

  • I, Robot (1950) - A collection of short stories exploring human-robot interactions and the implications of the Three Laws
  • Robot Series - Including novels such as “The Caves of Steel” (1954), featuring robot detective R. Daneel Olivaw
  • “The Last Question” (1956) - Short story about an AI that evolves over eons until it becomes godlike
  • “The Bicentennial Man” (1976) - Novella about a robot’s journey toward humanity, later adapted to film
  • Foundation Series - Epic saga featuring the psychohistorian Hari Seldon, with later additions incorporating robots and AI

Impact and Legacy

Asimov’s vision of robotics and AI was revolutionary for its time. He rejected the common “robots as monsters” trope in favor of a more nuanced exploration of machine intelligence as a positive force with ethical constraints. His work influenced generations of science fiction writers, scientists, and technologists.

The Three Laws of Robotics remain the most widely recognized fictional framework for AI ethics, frequently cited in serious academic and policy discussions about AI safety and regulation. Many roboticists acknowledge Asimov’s influence on their career choices and thinking about human-machine relationships.

Asimov’s prediction of AI as tools, companions, and potentially godlike entities has proven remarkably prescient as real-world AI technology continues to develop.

Connections

References

  • “I, Robot” collection (1950)
  • “The Last Question” short story (1956)
  • “A Fiction Novelist’s Impact on Robotics: Isaac Asimov” (published by Clearpath Robotics)
  • Asimov’s autobiography “I, Asimov: A Memoir” (1994)