[kuschku]

(I personally also subscribe to the "preventing suffering" axiom, but wanted to show a better contrast)

But then the AI may decide life is suffering, and end suffering by ending life...

Asimov’s laws of robots end up with the previously mentioned axiom, though.

[ajmurmann]

That's a very interesting point! Watson is I essence a robot, so Asimov's laws should be a good starting point. But are they also a good starting point for the president? Why should laws be different for robots than for people? My head is spinning...

[krapp]

>Asimov's laws should be a good starting point

No they really shouldn't. Asimov's Laws of Robotics were a plot device intended to be subverted by the robots in his stories, they were never meant to be taken seriously.