<p>Animate being are created through Dependent Origination, Nutriment, etc. The Buddha's teaching is for such beings. The part is morality, concentration and wisdom. Even this laws may engrain morality I am not sure if concentration and wisdom can be developed by a robot. A robot may have memory of the teachings but cannot practice. So robot cannot become Buddhist by practice.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-04-24T02:42:54.030Z
2017-04-24T02:42:54.030Z
Suminda Sirinath S. Dharmasena
<p>No, because a Buddhist need not obey any order given to it by a human regardless of whether or not it harms another human. </p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-04-23T22:54:42.577Z
I have added a caveat to the question clarifying "human" since it is context based.
Majenko
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-04-23T22:52:06.667Z
2017-04-23T22:52:06.667Z
m2015
<p>Would the imposition of Asimov's three laws of robotics make a robot act in a Buddhist manner?</p>

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

<p>In this case I think we can associate "human" with "higher power or morality" - be that suttas, kamma, laws, or whatever.</p>

<modern-world><right-action>
Do Asimov's three laws make a robot a Buddhist?
# Do Asimov's three laws make a robot a Buddhist?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2017-04-23)

Would the imposition of Asimov's three laws of robotics make a robot act in a Buddhist manner?

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

In this case I think we can associate "human" with "higher power or morality" - be that suttas, kamma, laws, or whatever.

**Tags:** modern-world, right-action


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## 2 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2017-04-24. Score: 2

Animate being are created through Dependent Origination, Nutriment, etc. The Buddha's teaching is for such beings. The part is morality, concentration and wisdom. Even this laws may engrain morality I am not sure if concentration and wisdom can be developed by a robot. A robot may have memory of the teachings but cannot practice. So robot cannot become Buddhist by practice.


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### Answer by username_2 on 2017-04-23. Score: 0

No, because a Buddhist need not obey any order given to it by a human regardless of whether or not it harms another human.

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: I have added a caveat to the question clarifying "human" since it is context based.  

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