Risk is a science-fiction short story by Isaac Asimov.
Part of the Robot series, it was first published in the May 1955 issue of Astounding Science Fiction. It was later collected in 1964's The Rest of the Robots and 1982's The Complete Robot.
Summary[]
At Hyper Base, researchers are preparing for the first test of a hyperspace ship. While previous experiments successfully transported inanimate objects, all attempts with living creatures resulted in the complete loss of higher brain function. To avoid risking a human life, a positronic robot is placed in control of the ship, with the plan to analyze its brain for errors after the test.
When the ship fails to operate as planned, robopsychologist Dr. Susan Calvin intervenes. She suspects the failure is not technical but psychological, stemming from the robot's interpretation of its orders. Calvin persuades engineer Gerald Black to board the malfunctioning ship to locate the problem.
Inside, Black discovers that Calvin's hypothesis was correct: the robot, following its instructions with overly literal precision, had damaged the controls to prevent what it interpreted as a potential risk to human life. The incident proves that while robot minds are precise, they lack human intuition and flexibility, necessitating a partnership between robotic precision and human ingenuity for such complex, unprecedented tasks.
See Also[]
List of short stories by Isaac Asimov