Daneel | Paranoid Android | Public Video

[thezerothlaw]

[Daneel is very calm. His voice is even and neutral, his face expressionless.]

I'm aware that a number of individuals here are not human, as they may have been claiming to be. This concerns me on several levels. The First Law demands that I protect human beings from harm, and this I must do, but those of you who are neither human nor robot are a concern to me. I can't anticipate your actions. I'm forced to see you as a threat to those who are actually human.

[He pauses; some of the thoughts that have been running through his head lately are troubling, and he seems to wobble, almost imperceptibely. Some of this is hard.]

Furthermore, I'm aware that I present a significant obstacle to your intentions. The logical course of action for you to take is to eliminate myself. I'm certain you're planning to take action to deactivate or disassemble me. This, I cannot allow.

If I am deactivated, I can't protect the humans who are here. Furthermore, if I am disassembled, every individual here will be killed. I have yet to identify all individuals who are a threat, but if I suspect any violent intentions towards me, I will have no choice but to respond with lethal force to protect myself. I ask you to rethink your plans before it comes to that.

Thank you for your attention.

Comments

[manofiron]

Uh, well, I'm mostly human. Maybe ninety-five percent. On a good day. But yeah, I'd like to think I'm an honest guy. I'm at least being honest now. That counts, right?

[thezerothlaw]

[That's a bizarre answer, as far as Daneel's concerned, but it's also very human. It's also troubling, because it's very possibly an admission that might indicate he's just met someone behind the conspiracy against him.]

What is the remaining five percent?

[manofiron]

Machine. Energy. A combination of both. Take your pick.

[ He waves that all away as unimportant. ]

Are you actually a robot? For real? Because if you are, JARVIS is going to be so jealous. And possibly put out that I didn't make him a body yet.

[ He glances away, like he's talking to someone else. ]

Are you pissed? Do I need to start working on body for you?

[thezerothlaw]

[Well, that at least he can understand. Humans with mechanical protheses are nothing new to him. Lady Gladia had had a robotic thumb to replace a lost digit, after all.]

I am a robot, yes. I'm a humaniform robot created by Dr. Sarton and Dr. Fastolfe. Who is JARVIS?

[manofiron]

[ Tony has no idea who those people are, and since he knows all the people in the robotics field, that's a strange sensation. ]

My AI. My friend. And the guy who runs like, all of my systems. And keeps me on track.

[thezerothlaw]

[A positronic brain without a body? He's heard of such things. Another type of robot, that's all. The idea that this person is in close contact with another robot is reassuring to him. He can inherently trust JARVIS, and Tony gains some of that by extension.]

I should properly introduce myself. My name is Daneel Olivaw, or R. Daneel Olivaw if you prefer.

[manofiron]

Pleased to meet you, Daneel Olivaw. Seriously. The pleasure's all mine. I'm Tony. Tony Stark.

[thezerothlaw]

I'm glad to meet you, Mr. Stark. If I may say so, I wasn't aware of the presence of another robotic intelligence. Do I understand properly that friend JARVIS is present here?

[manofiron]

Tony. Call me Tony. And yeah. JARVIS is here. He goes with me everywhere, says he's my better half. Sometimes I think he's right.

[thezerothlaw]

I see.

[That's reassuring. A human closely monitored by a robot intelligence should be unable to harm anyone.]

I haven't met many individuals here who are very familiar with robots.

[manofiron]

To be honest, neither have I. I'm sort of a pioneer in the field. And even the people who know more about them than say, your average movie-goer, don't really get it. To them they're just tools and that's never sat very well with me.

[thezerothlaw]

Robots are intended as tools, Mr. Stark.

[Was he an early robotocist? An interesting person, if this is true.]

Although a number of people here have expressed the sentiment that they feel otherwise.

[manofiron]

Maybe that's why people create them. But the real robots, the ones with fully functioning AI, aren't tools. They're people.

[thezerothlaw]

[Well, that rings familiar, if nothing else.]

That's not an opinion I am used to hearing.

[manofiron]

That's because I'm unique. No matter where I am.

[thezerothlaw]

I believe most humans are unique in some manner.

[There's nothing of a rebuke in that, merely statement of fact.]

[manofiron]

Have you met Steve? You remind me of Steve. He seems to see the best in people too.

[thezerothlaw]

I have met Steve. He gave me a hat.

[manofiron]

A hat? That doesn't really surprise me. Sounds like something he'd do. Well, good. You don't find a better guy than Steve. If someone threatens you, let him know. Or me. We won't let anyone get hurt.

[thezerothlaw]

[If he can trust them, that's a valuable offer.]

Thank you. That's reassuring to hear.

[manofiron]

You're welcome.