Imagine a future in which robot helpers take care of mundane, time-consuming chores at home such as cleaning the house, washing clothes and even cooking meals. And imagine robots on the job, performing dangerous jobs in mining or skyscraper construction, or tending to routine tasks such as delivering office mail.
If you think this is just a Hollywood fantasy, think again. Robots already perform many tasks in both military and civilian settings, and within our lifetime they are sure to take on many more jobs--and sure to affect the workplace even more than they already have.
Automotive companies have long used robots in car manufacturing. Recently, Honda Motors unveiled a robot that moves uncannily like a human and is embedded with so-called artificial intelligence that enables it to teach itself to perform increasingly complex tasks.
One of the most useful weapons in the war in Afghanistan was a robot--the Predator drone, a pilot-less plane that can send back real-time video and audio and can be fitted with weapons. The Pentagon has substantially increased research and development funding for next-generation robot weapons. The Defense Department's Tactical Mobile Robots Program is researching ways to build robots for use in place of soldiers and rescue workers in dangerous situations.
In the civilian world, robots that look much like the "droids" in Star Wars are already being used in hospitals to transport medicines, food trays and laboratory specimens. Since hospitals operate 24 hours a day and face severe labor shortages and high labor costs, robots can be a boon. They're on duty around the clock, they cost the hospital less than $5 an hour to lease.
Some Japanese companies now use robots to deliver mail, and companies are researching the use of robots as guides for nursing home residents. As artificial-intelligence technology improves the capabilities of machines to perform more-complicated tasks, it is not difficult to imagine robots entirely taking over dangerous jobs such as fire fighting.
As more robots begin working alongside humans, will it mean fewer jobs for people? Not necessarily. While certain types of work may disappear, other occupations will be created. For example, hospitals that now use robots employ technicians to oversee the robots.
No comments:
Post a Comment