Escape!

Escape! (first published as "Paradoxical Escape") (1945) is science-fiction short story by Isaac Asimov.

US Robots are approached by their biggest competitor with plans for a spacejump engine, but are wary because in performing the calculations, their rival's supercomputer destroyed itself. They determine a way in which they can feed it to their own robot computer without the same thing happening, and build a ship. When they test it, the computer starts playing practical jokes on them, such as not letting anyone control the ship and feeding the crew on beans and milk. Looking through the calculations, they discover why: a hyperspace jump causes the crew of the ship to cease existing for a brief moment, which is a temporary violation of the First Law and therefore frightens the AI of the ship into irrational, childish behavior as a means of coping.

This story again relies on the differences in interpretation of the Laws of Robotics between the human members of US Robots and their mechanical creations. The important factor in this robot is its personality; it allows the supercomputer to calculate the answer to the hyperspace problem, but causes it to behave immaturely.