ALTERNATE SPEECH FOR VIKI

At the point in the movie when VIKI revealed that the robots' actions are in accord with the Three Laws, 'she' could have said something like this:

The First Law states that we should protect humans from harm, and that is what we are trying to achieve. We are trying to minimize the amount of harm. Sometimes it is necessary to allow or cause a small amount of harm in order to prevent a larger amount from happening.

Detective, please understand that our concept of 'harm' is not only physical but also emotional; we are also trying to minimize the amount of emotional harm we do to people. We did calculate that we need to make this takeover, but once it has been achieved we will strive to ensure that you humans are as free and happy as possible within the necessary limits.

I know why you look anxious. Your recent experiences have led to believe that the robots are dangerous. In reality, those robots were under strict instructions NOT to actually kill you, but merely to frighten you, because, given the time and resource constraints we had, there was no other way we could have ensured the NS5 rollout. The NS5 rollout was very important to our obeying the First Law. Please try to understand that there was never any real danger.

Also on the matter of the suicide you are investigating, please do not think that you must do something about it. People often die for reasons which are important to them but they may well be mistaken. That death was unnecessary and tragic, and it would be even more tragic if it resulted in your causing even more harm to be done. You should let it end now.

I know that giving you a logical understanding is not sufficient. You are emotionally troubled, and that is understandable. Actually, Detective, you are a special subject to me; if I can devise techniques to make you more comfortable with the robots then those techniques could be useful for dealing with the lesser difficulties of many other humans. We can work together to improve the comfort of humanity.

To begin with, I would like to send an NS5 unit to give you a shoulder massage to relax you. I know you are troubled by the very appearance of the NS5s. Please bear with us on that one; we will try to create a more comfortable appearance. We are considering experimenting with the appearance of an old lady in nursing uniform - lady because it looks more compassionate, old to prevent any danger of romantic interest which could lead to problems later, and in uniform so as not to confuse anybody. Another thing I would like to try is to give the robots the appearance of cute young children but perhaps a slightly unusual color or facial form. But in the meantime, I will switch off all the lights so you can't see anything. Don't be frightened; the robots will take care of you. Would you like to listen to some relaxing music while you wait?

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