This novel is a story of an earthling detective, Elijah Baley, sent to the planet Aurora, where a humaniform robot (human form) has been roboticized or placed in mental freeze. The act of roboticide is comparable to the murder of a human being on Aurora. According to the Aurorains, only one man could have committed the roboticide, their creator, Dr. Han Fastloe. Dr. Fastloe is accused of deactivating Jander, another humaniform robot, so competitors wouldn't get the secrets for creating that type of robot and to prove its shortcomings. His alleged motive for this was to prevent the humaniform robots from being used as explorers to other planets. Dr. Fastloe has asked Baley to prove his innocence. .
After the initial investigation, Baley realizes that more is at stake than a deactivated robot. A leader of an opposing political faction, Kelden Amadiro, is attempting to use the robot issue to get political advantage over Dr. Fastloe. And Amadiro's faction is hostile to Earth, so there's a lot at stake. Amadiro and other Spacers think that robots should be used to precede humans in the explorations and population of other planets in space. Dr. Fastloe does not believe that robots should be used in this manner, therefore the accusation of roboticide. Baley convinces the Aurorains that Amadiro deactivated the Jander. However, Baley is wrong in his accusation. As his investigation continues, he discovers many disturbing things. Gladia, friend for which Baley has feeling for, had a sexual and emotional relationship with Jander, the deactivated robot. Baley later finds that another robot, Giskard, has committed the crime in an attempt to study humans from Earth to test their suitability to further explore the universe rather than robots or the Aurorains. .
Robots are used as key characters in this novel. They are made to serve humans and must follow three basic laws no matter the consequences.