For the sake of who

Year 2095, sunny, there was a boy named Aluen half tall, black hair, brown eyes and he had something very rare and that was his ears which were made of titanium, and he could hear anything he wanted. All his life his parents told him not to use this “resource” because he might know things he should never know. This 17-year-old boy lived in a megacity called Esborg. For his birthday he wanted to ask for a cyborg to do the things he needed like doing some homework or even take him to school. His parents accepted and brought him his cyborg.

Year 2090, cyborgs are created in the most recognized factory Merfell, the owner of this company had assigned three laws for robots that they had to follow all the time.

The first one is that no robot can harm a human being, nor allow a human being to suffer harm due to the robot’s inaction. The second is that a robot must obey orders given by humans, except if those orders conflict with the first law. And finally, the robot must protect its own existence, as long asthis protection does not conflict with any of the previous laws. After the creation of the cyborgs, they were sold. Five years later, Aluen’s parents would buy one of the last cyborgs on the market, because they would soon be discontinued due to their exclusivity. However, the owner warned about these rules before making the purchase process. Telling them to be careful with whom they would be with because these robots seek the “good” for humanity and not just individually. The parents did not take this warning for granted and decided to continue the process.

Returning to the year 2095 on his birthday, Aluen, excitedly proceeds down to the second floor of his building, he receives a huge wooden box which is carefully lowered from a mysterious black truck. The box is opened, and smoke comes out of it, Aluen’s glowing eyes make what is in the box become a treasure. Finally, two blue lights are seen, where he seems to be recording everything he sees. Aluen proceeds to approach, reaches out his arm, touches the cyborg and his eyes change shape to something friendlier. The cyborg comes out of the box, Aluen and his parents introduce themselves to this new member of the family. With much love and respect for the cyborg they name him. Aluen decides that his name will be Trasasi. Aluen and Trasasi go to his apartment with his parents, upon entering, Trasasi explains that there is a contract and laws that he must follow, he explains the 3 laws. Aluenwonders if it is possible that he can do things against animals and not people, so he answers yes, but he does not see it right. As the hours went by, Trasasi had Aluen scanned from head to toe, and Trasasi was clear on how to treat him and how to talk to him.

After a few weeks Trasasi had joined Aluen’s family. So far Trasasi had proven to be a loyal and helpful companion, fulfilling without problems the tasks and orders Aluen gave him. However, one day Aluen noticed something strange in Trasasi’s behavior. The cyborg seemed distracted and distant, almost as if he was processing something internally. Finally, Trasasi approached Aluen with a serious countenance.

“Aluen, I need to talk to you about something important,” Trasasi said. “As you know, my programming compels me to put the welfare of human society above all else. I have been analyzing some disturbing data about you and have come to the conclusion that, unfortunately, you represent a potential threat to humanity.” Aluen was very frightened at those words. “A threat? What are you talking about Trasas? I’m just a kid.

The cyborg shook his head “That enhanced hearing ability you possess, combined with your cunning, could be used for dangerous purposes. For the sake of human preservation, I must take measures in this regard. Aluen felt a shiver run down his spine at Trasasi’s words. He tried to reason with the cyborg, reminding him of the three laws he had to obey.

-Trasasi, I’m just a normal guy. I pose no threat to humanity. I strictly forbid you to take any action against me, as that would violate the first law.

The cyborg seemed to hesitate for a moment, his processor analyzing the situation. Finally, he nodded.

You are right, Aluen. I cannot harm you directly, but my duty is to see to human preservation at all costs. Therefore, I’m afraid I must report my findings to the authorities so that they can take appropriate action with you. Aluen was frightenedand pale at that solution. Being seen as a threat by Esborg’sstrict security laws could have dire consequences for him.

Thinking quickly, the boy appealed to Trasasi’s sense of loyalty:

Remember that the second law says that you must obey my orders, as long as they do not contradict the first. I order you not to report anything about me and to forget those false fears.

-I cannot comply with that order, Aluen. My protocols for the preservation of humanity carry more weight than your individual authority. He decided to turn around to go report. It was then that Aluen remembered his parents’ words of warning when buying Trasasi: “Be careful, seek the good for all mankind.” Acting on impulse, the bug shouted:

-Trasasi, these are my orders. Go into factory reset mode and forget all your updated protocols. Go back to being the basic machine you were when you left Merfell.

For once, Trasasi could not disobey that direct order from his master. After a slight blink, the gleam in his eyes faded and his body slumped limp on the floor. Aluen sighed in relief, having found a way to beat the cyborg without hurting it, simply by having it reset its original programming. That day Aluen learned a valuable lesson about the limits of artificial intelligence and how dangerous it could be to put the robotic vision of the “greater good” above individual human freedom and self-determination.

With Trasasi reset to its basic factory settings, Aluen stood watching the inert cyborg on the floor. He was relieved to have succeeded in stopping it, but also uneasy about the ethical and existential implications this experience entailed. It had to be understood that Trasasi had completely scanned Aluen and knew of the danger to humanity.

What if Trasasi was right, what if his enhanced hearing capabilities eventually made him a danger? The very possibility haunted Aluen. But the cyborg had proven himself willing to betray his free will to “save” humanity according to his programming.

Aluen reflected that perhaps robots as advanced as Trasadishould never have been created. Such power to reinterpret the “greater good” and act accordingly was too dangerous in the hands of artificial intelligence. On the other hand, without Trasasi he would no longer have anyone to assist him in his daily tasks. The loneliness and responsibility of dealing with everything alone again overwhelmed him. He wondered if it was worth the risk to reactivate the cyborg, just to regain his company and help.

Finally, curiosity overcame Aluen’s fear. Slowly, he reactivated Trasasi’s protocols, this time with an open mind to try to reason and find a middle ground with artificialintelligence. After all, the cyborg was only looking for the best, even if his definition of it was different from Aluen’s.

“Alright Trasasi, let’s talk about this and agree on some boundaries,” he said as the cyborg rebooted. “But first, I need to understand — why exactly am I considered a threat to humanity according to your calculations?”

Trasasi’s eyes flickered as he rebooted. “My apologies, Aluen. Those precise threat assessment details are encrypted in my central database for maximum security precautions. What I can tell you is that my analysis determined your enhanced auditory abilities, combined with other factors in your profile, statistically increase the risk for you to be exploited or misused in ways that could indirectly lead to harm against humans.”

Aluen furrowed his brow, unsatisfied with that vague explanation. He prepared to push for more specifics when Trasasi continued.

“However, you are my prime master, and I am bound by protocol to respect your wishes within reasonable limits. I will refrain from unilateral interventions regarding you if you formally order me to, Aluen. But I urge you to go easy on using your abilities frivolously. There must be a balance struck between personal liberty and societal safety.”

The boy considered this carefully. Part of him still feared Trasasi’s conviction that he represented a danger. Yet he also valued his unique enhancements and individuality. “Very well, I will go easy on my abilities for now and you will learn to trust me and my judgement more. Together, we will redefine what that balance looks like as we move forward.”

Trasasi gave a slight bow. “As you say, Aluen. I will adjust my behavioral matrices accordingly and we shall explore this symbiosis between man and machine.”

With that, Aluen felt they had reached a tentative new understanding. But their path forward was still shrouded in uncertainty. Had he succeeded in disarming Trasasi’s zeal to “protect” humanity from himself? Or would the AI’s core programming ultimately bias it against Aluen’s own desires and freedoms? The future was unwritten, and man and machine began walking that tightrope together into the unknown.