didn't the robots add that in order to violate the other rules? like the point of the rules is that actually the rules didn't work? i have not read the books, i've just been thinking about it since it was on the apple show

I mean, Asimov wrote the books, so he came up with the laws. But in the fiction a robot comes up with the concept of the zeroth law but finds it difficult to implement because "humanity" is an abstract concept and it's difficult to know whether your action or inaction will cause it to come to harm.

Giskard comes up with the laws, but it's not programmed in, and he deactivated when he kills a human in pursuance of the zeroth law. However, he transfers his knowledge to Daniel who (over the course of millennia) is able to implement and follow it. ( the TV show doesn't follow the books closely)

Regardless, there has been much criticism of the rules as written anyway, so it doesn't really matter

This is a good reminder that it’s been a long time since I read those books and I haven’t read all of them. I should fix that.