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Going For Walkies

Robots won't get Asimov's laws, because there will be more than one manufacturer.

As a matter of fact, as the furby-type toys continue to make the technology cheap, technical enthusiasts will build their own. And "technical enthusiast" includes the kid down the street with the bad attitude and loud music who's always working on his car. These robots will be aggressive punk things. SRL downsized and kept at home. There will be Beware Of Robot signs instead of Beware Of Dog signs. Cities will probably be the first to create laws of restraint. Perhaps robots will not be allowed in public unless certified, as cars are. In which case the expense of testing would restrict who could apply, just as now where we have more people who dream of building their own airplane than can afford to do it. And perhaps we will require Robot Permits for anyone who would own or operate one.

But, yeah. People will build these things as pets. And if you think the variety of dogs and firearms we've developed is plenty strange, wait till you see the bots.

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