They're "laws" in the same sense as aircraft have flight control laws. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flight_control_modes https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flight_

They're "laws" in the same sense as aircraft have flight control laws. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flight_control_modes https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flight_control_modes There are instances of robots entirely lacking the Three Laws in Asimov's works, as well as lots of stories dealing with the loopholes that inevitably crop up.