Isaac Asimov envisioned machines that would be completely safe and subserviant to humans. In the first robot story he wrote titled "Robbie," the robot's owner defends the machine to his wife, "He just can't help being faithful and loving and kind. He's a machine - made so." The ethics implied by Asimov in this first story were more specifically defined as the Three Laws of Robotics in a later story; (1) a robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm, (2) a robot must obey orders given to it by human beings, except where such orders would conflict with the First Law,and (3) a robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Law.

According to Mr. Hall, discussion of machine ethics starts with the Three Laws but subsequently departs. The discussion leads to the prospect of building superhuman, intelligent machines, machines that can learn and grow, no longer servants but potentially masters. It is a completely different problem than the one that concerned Asimov.