Artificial intelligence is evolving rapidly and robotics have advanced significantly. Blending these together could bring us real human-like android robots.
Recently, the team at Clone Robotics revealed an Android they have created that can mimic human movements in ways that have not been seen in the real world before. The video below shows this android in action, which is pretty cool, scary, and creepy at the same time. This android is suspended on an apparatus, but it begs the question of whether or not human-like android robots will be part of our future.
Pros of AI robots
Extreme efficiency
As humans, we get tired of holding our arms up above our heads, require breaks, and need food to keep us going. We expect to have a life outside of work and that means limited hours working every day. The same can’t be said for robots. The are machines and with the use of AI, can perform many of the repetitive and monotonous tasks that humans perform, but can do so much more efficiently. This might be a positive for a company using robots, but it’s a negative for the human workforce.
Precision
When programmed properly, robots can execute tasks with extreme precision, ensuring accuracy of the work performed. This could reduce the number of defects, faulty parts, and recalls required in some manufacturing plants. Using human-like android robots would significantly reduce the number of errors, which allows a company to be more precise.
increased productivity
Using robots for some tasks allows the human workforce to focus on more creative and strategic tasks. Robots increase productivity and free up human resources to focus on work that will add more value to the project. Instead of wasting the human workforce on menial and repetitive tasks, people can focus on solving pain points for the company, which adds significant levels of value to the bottom line.
Safety for humans
Instead of forcing people to perform dangerous tasks that could be life-threatening, companies can turn to robots to do some of these tasks. Robots can perform dangerous tasks in harsh work environments, which greatly reduces the risks to human workers.
Cons of AI robots
Costs
Robots are new and haven’t been widely used in any industry. This relates to an extremely high cost to acquire human-like android robots to perform tasks. Some robotics companies are working to make these machines more accessible and eliminate the cost barriers, but robots are likely to remain expensive for several years.
Job displacement
Replacing any portion of a human workforce with robots seems morally wrong and unjust. Some people can only perform the repetitive, menial tasks that would be taken over by robots, which essentially puts these people out of work, causing a rise in unemployment. Some people will be able to move on to higher-value tasks, but that’s not the case for everyone.
Technology dependency
One of the biggest problems associated with becoming dependent upon robots and computerization to handle most labor-associated tasks is what happens when the machines fail. Computers can be hacked, machinery breaks down, programming can become bogged down with bugs, and entire systems can fail. If a company is dependent upon robots to handle most labor-intensive tasks, without a backup plan, things could get bad.
How can robots be used in various industries?
There are already some amazing examples of industries putting robots to work. Most of them are not the human-like android robots, but they still handle various functions through automation and machine learning.
- Manufacturing – Robots are used for production line automation, product assembly, quality control, and logistics
- Healthcare – Robots are assisting with surgeries, working in confined spaces to assist doctors during life-saving procedures
- Agriculture – Robotics and AI are being used to create better techniques for cultivation of vines that allow larger yields
- Automotive – Robots are used for manufacturing, welding, painting, and assembly
- Service and Hospitality – Some robots have been developed to perform customer service tasks including reception, cleaning, and food service
Should we be worried?
AI and robotics coupled with human-like android robots are what many science fiction movies have warned us about. Could there be a rise of the machines in which robots take over? Not with current systems, but if AI is developed to the point of true learning and decision making that’s not based on programming, people could be in trouble.
In reality, robots have already been part of our world for many years, especially in the manufacturing sector. The development of a human-like android robot might be the future of human job losses, but that should still be many years from now and isn’t guaranteed.
