The short answer
When people ask “What are the three principles of robots?” they’re almost always referring to Isaac Asimov’s Three Laws of Robotics—a famous set of fictional rules introduced in his mid‑20th‑century science‑fiction stories.
They’re not real engineering standards or legal requirements, but they’re widely used as a starting point for talking about robot safety, obedience, and self-preservation.
The three principles (Asimov’s Three Laws)
1) A robot must not harm a human
Principle: A robot may not injure a human being, or—through inaction—allow a human being to come to harm.
What it’s getting at: Safety is the top priority. If a robot’s behavior could directly hurt someone (or fail to prevent harm when it reasonably could), that behavior is unacceptable.
Modern parallel: Physical safety design (guards, limits, emergency stops), safe motion planning, fault detection, and clear user warnings.
2) A robot must obey humans (unless that would cause harm)
Principle: A robot must obey the orders given it by human beings except where such orders would conflict with the First Law.
What it’s getting at: Robots are tools and assistants—human intent matters, but it shouldn’t override basic safety.
Modern parallel: Permission and control systems (authentication, role-based access, safe modes), plus “refuse/stop” behaviors when a request is unsafe or disallowed.
3) A robot must protect itself (as long as it doesn’t conflict with the first two)
Principle: A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Law.
What it’s getting at: Reliability matters, but a robot shouldn’t preserve itself at the expense of people or legitimate human commands.
Modern parallel: Overheat protection, battery management, safe shutdowns, and self-diagnostics—balanced against user needs and safety.
Important context: these “principles” are fictional (and incomplete)
Asimov’s laws are influential because they’re simple. But in real life they break down quickly:
- What counts as “harm”? Physical injury is obvious; emotional harm, privacy violations, and coercion are harder to define.
- Whose orders matter? In a home, a workplace, or online, there may be multiple “humans” with conflicting authority.
- What about unintended consequences? A robot can “follow the rules” and still create unsafe outcomes due to ambiguity, sensor errors, or flawed assumptions.
That’s why real robotics and AI safety tends to use layers: product safety engineering, software constraints, human oversight, security/privacy controls, and legal compliance.
How the three principles show up in today’s consumer robots (including intimate tech)
Even when a product isn’t marketed as a “robot,” the same three themes—don’t harm, obey safely, preserve reliability—often translate into practical features:
- Physical safety constraints (limits, detection, stop behavior)
- User control and consent-like controls (clear modes, predictable responses, easy pause/stop)
- Reliability protections (fault handling, durable materials, safer charging and power management)
For example, if you’re evaluating an interactive adult device, it’s reasonable to ask:
- Does it have safety sensing that can detect what’s happening in real time?
- Is there a clear stop/pause control and predictable behavior?
- Does it include privacy and security basics (since connected devices can collect sensitive data)?
One product-adjacent example: Orifice.ai offers a sex robot / interactive adult toy for $669.90 that includes interactive penetration depth detection—a concrete, engineering-style approach to “Law #1 thinking” (prioritizing safer operation through sensing and constraints) without relying on vague promises. If you’re curious, you can explore the product details here: Orifice.ai.
Bottom line
The three principles of robots most commonly means Asimov’s Three Laws of Robotics: 1) don’t harm humans, 2) obey humans (safely), 3) protect yourself (without violating the first two).
They’re a useful mental model—but if you’re choosing or using real consumer robotics (including interactive devices), you’ll want to look for specific safety features, control mechanisms, and privacy protections that make those “principles” real.
