BMW recently hired some new workers for their Spartanburg, S. C. plant. They all look alike standing five feet six inches tall and weighing 130 pounds. Oh, and they do not wear clothes.
No, these workers do not belong to a nudist society. They are robots.
First Wave
Figure AI, Inc., a California company that manufactures humanoid robots, announced its agreement with BMW in late January.
Automobile assembly lines have been automated for some time. General Motors introduced the first assembly line robots in 1961.However, the autonomous Figure robots will be the first general purpose robots operating in the industry. Though a specific date has not been announced, Figure says their machines will be on the job later this year.
Phased Approach
Use of general purpose robots at BMW will develop in two stages. First, the robots will be used to determine where and how they can be used in production. The second phase will be placement of robots in the BMW’s Spartanburg plant.
“Single-purpose robotics have saturated the commercial market for decades, but the potential of general purpose robotics is completely untapped. Figure’s robots will enable companies to increase productivity, reduce costs, and create a safer and more consistent environment,” said Brett Adcock, Founder and CEO of Figure. “We look forward to working side-by-side with BMW Manufacturing to integrate AI and robotics into automotive production.”
Big Bucks and Big Names
Roughly a month after the BMW contract was made public, Figure announced it had raised $675 million at a valuation of $2.6 Billion. Investors included Microsoft, OpenAI and Jeff Bezos among others. Bezon, founder of Amazon, has long been interested in robot potential.
Amazon announced just before the Christmas holiday season that it was deploying new robots to bring the company’s robotic workforce to 750,000.
“Our vision at Figure is to bring humanoid robots into commercial operations as soon as possible. This investment, combined with our partnership with OpenAI and Microsoft, ensures that we are well-prepared to bring embodied AI into the world to make a transformative impact on humanity,” said Adcock of the funding. “AI and robotics are the future, and I am grateful to have the support of investors and partners who believe in being at the forefront.”
Robot Fleets
The forefront of robotics is increasingly humanoid and those are increasing in numbers.
Earlier this month, an Oregon company, Agility Robotics, revealed that it has developed the capability to manage fleets of humanoid robots.
Agility Arc is a cloud-based automation platform that allows operators to control multiple robots at once. Agilities go by the non-humanoid name of Digital. It is similar in stature to Figure’s humanoid robot standing 5 feet nine inches and weighing 140 pounds.
“Agility Arc lets warehouse operators put Digit to work quickly and easily in the most critical workflows, starting with bulk material handling in warehouses, distribution centers, and manufacturing sites,” said Melonee Wise, CTO of Agility.
From R2-D2 to C-3PO
In addition to physical skills (R2-D2), robots are learning language skills (C-3PO). In fact, some robots are even teaching languages.
RALL is an acronym for robot assisted language learning. This new technology has been used in many countries to teach a second language. However, it holds additional potential for spoken communication between operators and robots. The logical extension of that is spoken communication from robots to operators.
Agility has been teaching Digit to understand and obey voice commands using AI. In a company demonstration video, you can see the robot given a voice command and executing a simple task. Digit takes a couple of seconds to process the information it has been given. During that process, you literally see the lights go on in the robot. Take a look here.
Robot Restaurant Staff
Robots are displaying a variety of uses.
Billed as waiters, robots began showing up in restaurants during the pandemic. The appeal for eatery owners was simple. It was harder to hire human staff and customers were concerned about contracting COVID-19.
The robo waiters currently do not take customer orders. However, they do deliver food and return dirty dishes to the kitchen. As technology advances, robots may have greater capabilities, such as taking orders. Another limitation of robot waiters is that most are propelled on wheels. As a result, climbing stairs is impossible, However, warehouse robots already move about on legs and feet. It is not difficult to imagine waiter robots doing the same.
More to Come
Development of language skills and advanced mobility may open up other uses for robots.
They could serve as companions for the sick and elderly, act as guides, handle customer interaction in retail and serve as hosts for the growth of human transplant organs.
The production of humanoid robots is set to skyrocket. Agility’s RoboFab factory in Salem, OR is designed to produce up to 10,000 humanoid robots per year.
Are They Coming for Your Job
Robots, both humanoid and non-humanoid, will be taking human jobs. They will also create new jobs, but losses are expected to out number new jobs. Those most impacted will be workers who perform repetitive tasks.
The World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report for 2023 found mixed results for labor. Expectations vary by industry.
The report found that 60 percent of companies in the oil and gas industry and consumer goods production expect robotics to eliminate jobs. However, 60 percent of companies in the information and technology sector anticipate adding jobs.
The Future is Almost Here
Development of robots is advancing at a pace that will make them available in retail settings soon. As cited previously, they are already working in restaurants.
From the development of robot labor in manufacturing and retail it is a short automatronic step to domestic work in your home.
Since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution, technology has been advancing at a steadily increasing pace. As it moves it plows up the social and working landscape. By 1929 economist John Maynard Keynes was warning of “technological unemployment”.
Keynes’ prediction has not yet come true. Indeed, it may never come true. However, if it does it will be because people stop innovating.
The pandemic threw many people out of work, Always Lacking yet it led to an increase in new businesses.
Always Lacking
Humanoid robots create jobs for manufacturers and operators. On the other hand, they eliminate some jobs. Conversely, they may make working conditions safer and provide benefits to us all.
Those who fear the advancements in humanoid technology should remember that these things age machines and software. As a result, they have all the limits of machines and software. They are great at consuming and regurgitating information, but have none of the powers of reason and experience to separate fact from fiction. They can lift and move a heavy object, but have to be told what to lift and where to put it. In short, these new machines and software have amazing capabilities. However, they will always be lacking in that they have none of the heart and creativity of humans. Therein lies the difference.
