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The exponential power of scientific innovation has been on display recently. In a series of demo videos, Google Deepmind revealed that he had trained a robot to fold origami foxes, organize the desks, and hit small basketballs through hoops. Last month, Microsoft unveiled a robot that performs basic kitchen tasks. Both companies are taking advantage of advances in artificial intelligence.
By using the inference capabilities of large-scale language models, they have developed robotics software that enhances the ability of automatas to adapt to complex environments. Although technology takes time, opportunities pique the appetite for an economy facing a downsizing workforce and growing social and industrial demands.
High-tech groups, start-ups and investors have been hoping to build an AI “brain” that can operate robots independently for healthcare, manufacturing and even domestic applications. After decades of boring advances involving manually coding each movement created by a robot, AI training is turning robots into fast learners. You can absorb text, images and video communications from the Internet to understand the physical world. Modern software development suggests that technology is developing so that robots can adapt to new situations, respond to verbal instructions, and be dexterous enough to manipulate objects.
There’s still a lot to do before robots are commonplace at work or at home. As robots struggle to grasp the subtleties of human communication, improving autonomous interactions with humans remains a challenge. For example, at Tesla’s Cybercab event last year, Elon Musk’s humanoid Optimus robot was seen serving drinks, but was controlled remotely by humans. Adapting to new, unpredictable environments requires the development of larger databases related to movement. That’s before we think about mass production, how to integrate smart robots into existing hardware, and legal liability frameworks to deal with any accident.
The rise of robots usually evokes fear with the vision of machines that ultimately rule humans – the vision adorned in the film. However, the latest developments that allow robots to move beyond the repetitive tasks of factory floors highlight the promise of robotics to support humanity and support economic growth.
The world is aging rapidly. The number of people over the age of 60 is projected to double by 2050. In developed countries, the labor market remains the same. Over the next few decades, those with a smaller working-age population will need to support the healthcare and pension needs of more seniors. Attracting skilled immigrants can only go so far.
It is hard to imagine that robots can play a role in caring for the elderly and poor. In the industry, they can work in dangerous environments, support quality assurance, deal with logistics, and free humans for more complex tasks. Retail businesses can provide personalized support. It can be used in space exploration, supporting rescue operations in disaster areas. For poor time experts, we hope that future demonstration videos will show that robots will unsink, change diapers, and recycle them.
Benefits should not obscure risks. The machine requires failsafe. Humans need to access lifelong learning and reskills to avoid obsolescence. In particular, rules and best practices are also needed to ensure that the human mind is not crushed in the middle. There is enough time for society to be prepared for automata to be still in training. Interim, policymakers should ensure that research and investment environments continue to support the robot industry. Robots are smarter. The world should accept that.
