Teacher Takes Notes

Reading my first ever Isaac Asimov, a choice inspired by working at a school that takes technological skills very seriously. The book begins with Asimov’s 3 laws, later known as the Three Laws of Robotics. These laws framed by a sci-fi writer inspired the ethics of robotics and artificial intelligence, therein comes the realisation that storytellers rule our world. The book is a collection of short stories. The first one ‘Robbie’ was a breeze. The second one made me stop and wonder. And create this post. It’s called ‘Reason’. It made me reach out to a robot (Gen AI, specifically ChatGPT) for a discussion about the Three Laws of Robotics. Read on if you find this interesting.

I had been wondering if Asimov’s 3 laws could be mirrored into something like 3 laws of Humanity. So I posed the question to AI. I said to AI in my prompt, “I was wondering if, humans were to have 3 laws along the same lines, what would they be? Can you think about this and make some recommendations based on your interdisciplinary understanding and information about the human society and its current state, its priorities, its education system, socio-economic, politico-religious, spiritual and philosophical, as well as technological systems?”

Calling my idea a ‘fascinating twist with I, Robot’, AI distilled its knowledge about our vast and often contradictory systems (political, spiritual, technological, social) into simple guiding principles.

Firstly, it asked me to notice how Asimov’s 3 laws were hierarchical: human safety > obedience > robot survival. i.e. pattern encoded. Taking the same hierarchical approach, but applying it to the needs, failures, and aspirations of humanity, it proposed the following list:

Law 1: Humanity shall not harm the Earth or, through inaction, allow the Earth to come to harm.

• Why? Our survival depends on planetary systems (climate, ecosystems, biodiversity). Unlike robots, humans aren’t external to their environment; they are embedded in it.
• Current resonance: Climate crisis, resource depletion, and ecological collapse highlight how urgent this is.
• Philosophical root: Interdependence (Buddhism), stewardship (Abrahamic traditions), Gaia theory (ecology).

Law 2: Humanity shall treat other humans with dignity, ensuring justice, equity, and care, except where such treatment would violate the First Law.

• Why? Much of human suffering is inflicted by humans upon humans—wars, discrimination, exploitation.
• Current resonance: Human rights frameworks, social justice movements, education for empathy and inclusion.
• Philosophical root: Kant’s categorical imperative, Ubuntu (“I am because we are”), modern human rights charters.

Law 3: Humanity shall nurture its own growth—physical, intellectual, and spiritual—as long as such pursuit does not conflict with the First or Second Law.

• Why? Humans are meaning-seeking, knowledge-seeking beings. Flourishing requires creativity, innovation, culture, and inner development.
• Current resonance: Education systems, technology and science, personal well-being, spiritual traditions.
• Philosophical root: Aristotle’s eudaimonia (flourishing), Maslow’s hierarchy (self-actualization), Vedantic pursuit of truth.

In Summary:

1. Protect the Earth.
2. Protect Human Dignity.
3. Pursue Growth and Flourishing.

This triad aligns survival (ecological), ethics (social), and aspiration (personal/spiritual)—stacked hierarchically just like Asimov’s robot laws.

If you look at these three laws, they look simple enough. Not quite esoteric, neither very evolved. And yet, the struggle continues. These are the three main areas where humanity is failing itself. And continues to do so unashamedly in a sort of unstoppable free fall.

Knowing that I am a teacher, I encourage even my AI to ask me questions unprompted. Knowing me thus well, AI asked me:

Would humanity actually follow these laws if written? Or are we doomed precisely because, unlike robots, we cannot be programmed?

Should such laws be taught in schools the way we teach the 3Rs (reading, writing, arithmetic)?

And it got me thinking. PROGRAMMING. Robots can be programmed.

Humans can (only) be… EDUCATED.

Every big and little problem we are facing right now is one of education. And I am glad to be a part of a system that formally teaches even Nursery children about making good choices vs poor choices. One that mandates that children search for and take up a personal goal of service and betterment of the world (a concept known as Tikkun Olam) and one that brings topics such as empathy, compassion, self-expression, and entrepreneurship into our daily conversations.

As a teacher, I am in charge of some of this ‘programming’ of a section of humanity.

That in itself is a humbling thought.