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"did I had an extremely expensive wife - she would see a new car that she liked and just buy it... under California law I was bound to buy her debts. I think I turned out 16 novels in five years."
- Philip K. Dick

Robot Door  
  Automated door has some decision-making capabilities, in addition to speech recognition capabilities.  

They came to Captain Taylor's offices. One of the guards rang the buzzer.

"Who is it?" the robot door demanded shrilly.

"Commander Morrison orders this man put under the Captain's care."

...The robot's relay's clicked while it made up its mind. "The commander sent you?"

"Yes. Open up."

"You may enter," the robot conceded finally. It drew its locks back, releasing the door.

Technovelgy from Colony, by Philip K. Dick.
Published by Galaxy Science Fiction in 1953
Additional resources -

Compare this item to the self-satisfied door from Douglas Adams' The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. The earliest reference is probably the phonographic lock from A Journey to the Year 2025, by Clement Fezandie, published in 1921.

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Additional resources:
  More Ideas and Technology from Colony
  More Ideas and Technology by Philip K. Dick
  Tech news articles related to Colony
  Tech news articles related to works by Philip K. Dick

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