The Rise of Robots Does Not Equate to the Fall of Humans
By: Michael McQueen
I’ve got a confession to make: I’ve been a futurist for over a decade now, but I’ve been mindstuck about robots.
While I’ve been certain that AI and the world of robots is coming sooner than we thought, it never seemed to be something that would genuinely appear in my home or life in a tangible or impactful way.
Beyond that, while I tend to err on the side of optimism when it comes to the impact of technology on our lives, even I fell into the trap of viewing some of the developments of the robotic front through the lens of sci-fi dystopia and fear. We tend to think of robots through the lens of threat rather than opportunity, and equate the rise of robots with the fall of humans.
It wasn’t until I was at a conference recently and was invited to try on a robotic exoskeleton that I really wrapped my head around how the rise of robotic technology has the potential to bring humanity forward with it in some novel and surprising ways. Not only was this piece of technology novel, but its capacity was also incredible – I was able to lift significantly more weight than I otherwise could, but what I learned about how this tech can prevent injuries was incredibly inspiring.
And the technology I had the chance to experiment with is just the tip of the iceberg. Berlin-based robotics company GermanBionic recently launched its latest wearable tech innovation in the Apogee+ power suit. This device is an e-exoskeleton designed to be worn by healthcare professionals to ameliorate their ability to lift and transport patients within healthcare environments like hospitals, rehab clinics and geriatric wards.
A previous iteration of this device has also been used in industries where heavy lifting is common, including construction, warehousing and manufacturing, being specifically designed to protect the lower back of workers.[1]
Robots Collaborating With Humans
This is the way humanoid robot technology is likely to function best. Robot workers would be better understood as ‘cobots’ – collaborative partners working alongside humans in jobs that are physically demanding, dangerous or simply undesirable for people. Not only will their work reduce the risk for humans in this kind of work, but it will reduce the costs for companies. They will do the jobs human don’t want, and they will do them faster, better and cheaper.
True to character, Elon Musk recently announced that Tesla will begin using humanoid robots in its production as early as next year. This use of robots will boost efficiency in production as well as helping to reduce the labour shortages of human workers. The robots will work alongside humans, with built in conversational abilities.[2]
He is far from alone in the innovation of humanoid robots. US start-up Figure recently released a preview of its second version of their humanoid robot, the first of which is already working within a BMW factory in South Carolina.[3]
The Coming Labour Shortage
The role of robot labour becomes particularly important economically speaking when we map out the population trends over the next 100 years. When human populations experience a dramatic drop – a phenomenon expected to hit in the mid-2080s as a result of the current falling birth rates – there is going to be a great need for labour. Robots may provide the solution to that problem.[4]
A great example of this robot work comes in the food industry and hospitality sector. The meat industry has a history of labour shortages, and for good reason. Work in the meat industry is notoriously unpleasant, repetitive and incredibly physically demanding; fit-for-purpose robots are able to relieve humans of this task. At a factory in Iowa, there is a robot that spends its day doing the unpleasant work of carving up pig carcasses.
Rather than attempt to make such jobs more appealing with monetary bonuses or higher wages, the work of robots means costs are cut rather than multiplied. Here, there is no risk of human redundancy, as the few workers willing to work in such jobs are going to be re-assigned to more skilled positions.[5]
Robots in Hospitality
Similarly, robots are working alongside humans in the hospitality sector. CaliExpress by Flippy is a restaurant that also serves as a test kitchen for Miso Robotics, a company that designed robots for hospitality. The robots in this particular kitchen make everything from fries to burgers to mozzarella sticks. A similar robot, in use at Chipotle works at 6x the productivity of a human worker, making 180 bowls an hour.
In these environments, humans are still needed, especially for the more skilled tasks, as well as in managing the robots, making these humanoids genuine ‘cobots’.[6]
But the humanoids are not limited to workplaces; they are beginning to replace human labour in menial tasks and undesirable jobs even in the home. German start-up Neura also recently showcased a humanoid robot 4NE-1 that cooks, cleans, tidies and irons within the home. This humanoid was announced around the same time as a Nivida, a chip company, announced it is launching a set of platforms and tools to support these robots. One such platform is Isaac Lab, which uses simulations to train humanoid robots.[7]
It is understandable that we survey the fast-approaching future of robots, humanoids and AI with some suspicion. However, the rise of robots does not need to mean the fall of humans. Rather, when applied well, this technology frees humans up for more meaningful work, and allows us to fill in the gaps of labour shortages that are only set to widen.
Given the ways companies are currently integrating the technology, we would do well to embrace some optimism. Having been able to deadlift more than I ever could at the gym with the help of that exoskeleton, my high hopes are more than restored.
Article supplied with thanks to Michael McQueen.
About the Author: Michael is a trends forecaster, business strategist and award-winning conference speaker.
Feature image: Photo by Possessed Photography on Unsplash
