Eu acredito que a primeira dessas histórias foi "Mentiroso!" por Isaac Asimov, por volta de 1941. Na história, um robô de leitura da mente foi criado e sua habilidade única produziu consequências imprevistas e infelizes. Susan Calvin deixou o robô louco no final da história, forçando o robô a confrontar um inescapável paradoxo da Primeira Lei.
“You can’t tell them,” droned the psychologist slowly, “because that would hurt and you mustn’t hurt. But if you don’t tell them, you hurt, so you must tell them. And if you do, you will hurt and you mustn’t, so you can’t tell them; but if you don’t, you hurt, so you must; but if you do, you hurt, so you mustn’t; but if you don’t, you hurt, so you must; but if you do, you—”
Herbie was up against the wall, and here he dropped to his knees. “Stop!” he shrieked.