A few videos featuring robots caught my eye recently. One showed humanoid robots seemingly running faster than Usain Bolt, and another jumping higher than any human athlete. Another video showed a humanoid robot in China walking off an assembly line. There are other videos showing quadruped robots serving as pack animals alongside human hikers, and wheeled robots with articulated arms traversing rocky terrain and creeks and even careening down steep mountain hillsides.
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The idea of robots taking on dangerous or mundane jobs is attractive in that it frees humans up for safer, more creative and fulfilling work. But images of robots being utilized by hostile militaries to hunt humans is the stuff of nightmares.
We often hear that “migrants do the jobs that Americans don’t want to do.” These are usually labor-intensive, low-wage work such as harvesting crops, staffing fast food outlets and retail stores, or performing other repetitive and physically demanding tasks. Robots are increasingly positioned to perform many of these tasks, and they already perform high-risk military and security functions. However, Americans will do such work for reasonable wages and proper working conditions.
Although the initial purchase price and maintenance costs of robots are limiting factors, we can reasonably expect these to come down as manufacturing processes improve and designs become standardized. Indeed, it may one day become possible for most components to become so standardized that humanoid robots are, in fact, “plug and play,” with damaged or worn out parts easily replaced. At that point, we might reasonably expect robots to begin building robots, with human intervention needed only for areas such as production oversight and quality control.
Presently, robots can detect and neutralize explosives, conduct reconnaissance in hostile or terrorist-held locations, clear mines, and perform hazardous inspections. For example, the Boston Dynamics robot, “Spot,” is used by bomb squads, and there are autonomous systems for explosive ordnance disposal and site exploration. These keep humans out of immediate danger.
Agricultural automation is accelerating as well. Robots can now harvest fruits and vegetables with great precision. Multi-task orchard systems are currently under development for harvesting apples, strawberries, and other crops. Reports from the USDA indicate that labor shortages and rising wages have pushed growers toward mechanization. If and when relatively low-cost robots become available, the issues of seasonal labor shortages, rising labor costs, and physically arduous outdoor work can be mitigated. Since robots can work without rest as long as they’re supplied with power and receive regular maintenance and needed repairs, we should soon see lower prices and increased availability of farm products. We will also eliminate the sanitation concerns associated with inadequate field facilities.
Robots also lend themselves for use in service, retail, and fast food settings, with robotic arms and automated systems for frying, assembling burgers or salads, inventory management, and cleaning. Kitchen robots such as “Flippy” target repetitive, hot, and injury-prone tasks that are traditionally filled by low-wage workers. An obvious caveat here is that these jobs are often entry-level positions for young people and serve to teach them basic job skills such as timeliness, proper dress, dealing with the public, fellow workers, and management, not to mention experience in managing their finances. Sadly, these positions are increasingly viewed as permanent career choices, and the subsequent demands for higher wages make switching to robotics increasingly attractive for store owners.
Robots are increasingly being used in other areas as well, such as in warehouses, elder care, and manufacturing. Supermarkets are increasingly using robots for cleaning, stocking shelves, and managing inventory — labor-intensive roles that call for consistency, accuracy, and endurance.
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The obvious issue here is, again, the job losses incurred when robots replace humans in these types of jobs. Lower-skilled workers face increased risks of underemployment or unemployment. This is especially true in regions heavily dependent on agriculture, retail, or manufacturing. One study shows that automation can increase inequality and depress wages in such sectors unless it is accompanied by retraining and transition support.
For businesses with tight margins, such as farms and supermarkets, robots can make the difference between profit and loss. They might also complement rather than fully replace human labor, potentially raising overall productivity and enabling higher compensation for remaining human roles such as robot operators, maintenance, and quality oversight. Historically, technological change has created new categories of employment even as it eliminates others, but the transition can be painful without deliberate policy intervention.
Automation also introduces new risks: mechanical and programming errors, cybersecurity vulnerabilities, and unclear liability when autonomous systems cause harm. There is also the question of the concentration of economic power among robot developers, manufacturers, and owners.
Artificial intelligence and robots are here, and they aren’t going away. The question now is what guardrails we can put in place to ensure that the transition doesn’t create insurmountable problems. These could include defined safety and reliability standards for autonomous systems, cybersecurity requirements to prevent hacking or sabotage, liability frameworks, and worker transition programs.
With care and foresight, automation can safely increase productivity and raise living standards without causing overwhelming societal disruption.
The genie is out of the bottle — but we still have time to decide how it shapes our future.
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