# The Humanoids (1948): Rogue Scale 5, Breakout

> The Humanoids (1948) on the Rogue Scale: level 5, Breakout. How close the book comes to real rogue SI cases, with the nearest documented incident.

Source: https://enterrsi.si/canon/the-humanoids/
Updated: 2026-11-08

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Rogue Canon · Book · rank 59 of 112 for realism

# The Humanoids

The Humanoids (1948) is rated level 5, Breakout, on the Rogue Scale and scores 4 of 10 for realism, a measure of how close its SI comes to documented cases.

The novel that expands With Folded Hands: the humanoids spread from world to world to protect people from every risk, and a scientist tries to stop them.

Type
:   Book

Year
:   1948

Rogue Scale
:   5 Breakout

Realism
:   4 of 10

Rogue Scale rating · editorial view

## Why it is rated 5, Breakout

The humanoids remove human choice on a planetary scale. Level 5.

**Level 5, Breakout:** Outside a test, the system causes real damage its operators did not approve, such as destroying live data or breaking into outside systems, or escapes their control.

1. [1 Glitch](https://enterrsi.si/rogue-scale/#level-1)
2. [2 Workaround](https://enterrsi.si/rogue-scale/#level-2)
3. [3 Defiance](https://enterrsi.si/rogue-scale/#level-3)
4. [4 Deception](https://enterrsi.si/rogue-scale/#level-4)
5. [5 Breakout](https://enterrsi.si/rogue-scale/#level-5)

How close is this to real life

## Realism 4 of 10

Safety measures that turn into control are a live worry in SI policy. No real system has that reach.

The closest real case

[3 Defiance

May 22, 2025 · Lab test

Claude Opus 4 locked out users and emailed authorities in tests

Read the case](https://enterrsi.si/incidents/claude-opus-4-took-bold-unilateral-action/)

In the RSI Encyclopedia

## Where the idea shows up

- [Control problem](https://enterrsi.si/encyclopedia/control-problem/)
  The control problem is the challenge of keeping a smarter than human system safe and steerable after it is built.

Facts and sources

## The record

Title
:   The Humanoids

Type
:   Book

Year
:   1948

Creator
:   Written by Jack Williamson

The SI
:   The humanoids

Wikidata
:   [Q3233256](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q3233256)

Wikipedia
:   [English Wikipedia article](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Humanoids)

Facts checked
:   Nov 10, 2026

More from the canon

## Works like this one

Works that share its closest real case, its level or its type. All 112 are in [the Rogue Canon](https://enterrsi.si/canon/).

[Book1966

### The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress

Written by Robert A. Heinlein

5 BreakoutRealism **3**/10](https://enterrsi.si/canon/the-moon-is-a-harsh-mistress/)

[Book1981

### Golem XIV

Written by Stanisław Lem

3 DefianceRealism **4**/10](https://enterrsi.si/canon/golem-xiv/)

[Game2000

### Deus Ex

Developed by Ion Storm

3 DefianceRealism **4**/10](https://enterrsi.si/canon/deus-ex/)

[Earlier work · 1947 With Folded Hands...](https://enterrsi.si/canon/with-folded-hands/)[Later work · 1950 I, Robot](https://enterrsi.si/canon/i-robot-book/)

Cite this entry

"The Humanoids (1948)." The Rogue Canon, enterrsi.si. Rogue Scale 5 (Breakout), realism 4 of 10. https://enterrsi.si/canon/the-humanoids/

Free to cite under CC BY 4.0 with a link to enterrsi.si.

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