Machines

A machine is an enclosure which contains moving parts parts that exert force on each other to produce a desired function. This may be as simple as cogs in a drill press or more complicated or people working in a corporation.

The origin of the word "Corporation"

It is the commonality of the parts which define the machine i.e. the majority of parts in a drill press do simple tasks which work together to make holes in things. Whereas in a corporation a collection of people work together to make profit. Machines always have inputs, a function and then based on their efficiency a productive output (internality) and a waste output (externality).

Future Machines

General Artificial Intelligence may be possible one day, however if its sole purpose is to make profit it could kill everyone on earth to do so. Therefore Asimov thought if a cybernetic machine were to be created it would need 3 preliminary rules which would be hierarchically gated:

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