The potential of artificial intelligence (AI) humanoid robots in factories and stores is sparking debate among experts about the future of work and commerce.
Companies are looking to deploy humanoid robots in tasks from assembly to customer service, but opinions are divided on the rate of adoption and impact. Experts agree that gradual integration is preferable to rapid transformation, and key challenges of technology development, workforce adaptation and customer acceptance have yet to be overcome.
“Henry Ford said, 'Why do we always get a human when all we want is one hand?' That sentiment applies here,” Ding Zhao, an associate professor of mechanical engineering at Carnegie Mellon University, told PYMNTS. The skepticism highlights an ongoing debate across industries about the most effective forms of automation.
The current state of robotics
Robotics has been a staple of industrial manufacturing for decades, with complex effects on employment. “Robotics tends to create higher-skill, higher-wage jobs, but it also tends to create lower-skill, lower-wage jobs,” Micah Ensley, government relations chair at the Human Factors and Ergonomics Association, told PYMNTS. This nuanced view explains the current surge in interest in more advanced AI-driven robots.
Recent trials, like BMW's testing of its “Figure 02” robot in chassis assembly, demonstrate the current capabilities of humanoid robots. In a news release, Milan Nedeljkovic, BMW's board member for production, said, “With initial test operations, we are now determining possible uses for humanoid robots in production.” This real-world application shows the automotive industry's commitment to exploring automation technology.
But the road to widespread adoption may be longer than some expect: “It's easily five years or more before we see humanoid robots in warehouses, so employees have time to make the transition,” Andy Williams, vice president of North America at Exotec, told PYMNTS. This perspective highlights the gap between current capabilities and industry requirements.
The Future of Work and Customer Service
As technology develops, its impact on employment and customer service is a topic of discussion: “This creates opportunities for upskilling and reskilling workers who may be replaced by robots, so they can take on new roles in an environment with humanoid robots,” Maria Kirarini, an assistant professor at Santa Clara University, told PYMNTS.
Opportunities for new roles are balanced with potential job losses: Williams predicts that “new services related to supporting these robots will include the expansion of humanoid advertising media and more comprehensive bundling of services to offset capital costs.”
In customer-facing roles, functionality can be more important than appearance. Ensley emphasized that “as with many systems that businesses implement, such as chatbots or phone-based voice menus, if the technology doesn't address customers' questions and needs, they will become frustrated and go elsewhere.”
A recent study in Japan suggests that even limited interaction with a robot can affect customer behavior: “A recent study in Japan deployed a service robot in a bakery to greet customers and provide product information. The study found that while the number of customers visiting the bakery did not increase, the robot's recommendations to customers did have an impact,” reports Kiralini.
The introduction of humanoid robots into commerce is expected to change workplace relationships, with Ensley warning that “currently, internal communication is primarily done by email, text and video calls, which often reduces the face-to-face interaction and relationship-building that naturally occurs within a company.”
Pat Marsh, lead designer at Argo Design and designer of the NASA-backed Apollo humanoid robot, sees potential for new business models.
“Much of our maintenance and care work is undervalued, at least by economic standards,” he told PYMNTS. “I like to think of robots as a possible lever against the tendencies inherent in capitalism and a GDP-driven economy, which is that robots can do the jobs that we consider too expensive for humans to do well.”
Experts agree that the key to successful integration is careful planning and human-centered design. Williams said, “We can see parallels between how human workers have embraced AI and learned to use it in their everyday workplaces, and how we can expect the transition to humanoid robots to unfold if done carefully and correctly.”
Retail and manufacturing industries continue to explore robotics, focusing on developing machines that can effectively serve human needs, whether they resemble humans in appearance or not. Marsh concludes, “People need to interact with robots in a way that sets good expectations, and they need patterns of behavior that set clear boundaries.”
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Read more: AI , Andy Williams , Argodesign , artificial intelligence , BMW , Carnegie Mellon University , Ding Zhao , Exotec , Human Factors and Ergonomics Association , humanoid robots , manufacturing , Maria Kiralini , Micah Ensley , Milan Nedeljkovic , news , Pat Marsh , PYMNTS News , retail , robotics , robots , Santa Clara University
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