Is "Humanity" a blip on the radar in the robotics revolution?

To the layperson, the concept of Artificial Intelligence (AI) is understood as movie magic or the technology that drives voice-enabled devices like Siri or Alexa. Due to the complexity of AI, it can be a challenge to grasp its complexity and application possibilities, and to understand the extent to which AI is implemented globally—many people may not realize how AI is embedded into one’s everyday life.

In Artificial intelligence: a modern approach, authors S.J. Russell, P. Norvig, and E. Davis define AI as the “study and design of intelligent agents, where the intelligent agent is a system that perceives its environment and takes actions that maximize its chances of success.”[1] This “intelligence” usually involves an algorithm that attempts to exemplify, model, or replicate a human behavior or outcome.

The marketplace for AI tools and robotics is booming. Tech giants like Microsoft, IBM, and Facebook are investing heavily in this area. At the same time, analysts believe that more than six billion dollars has been pumped into more than one thousand AI startups in the last three years, in industries ranging from transportation to health care.

There have been rapid and significant advancements in the fields of computer science, robotics, virtual reality, augmented reality, genomics using AI (CRISPR), and other areas that attempt to construct intelligent behaviors or imitate/enhance human intelligence. When we look at companies who focus on the space, they increasingly recognize that these technologies are most effective when they complement humans, not replace them.

As a robotics company, UBTECH focuses on working with the world's leading companies like Amazon, which now has 100,000 robots in operation and, as a direct result of robotic innovation, has dramatically decreased worker training to less than two days. Manufacturers like Airbus and Nissan are finding ways to use collaborative robots, or “co-bots,” that work side-by-side with workers in factories. Many believe that these two giants are on the leading edge, but companies like BMW have been using AI and augmented reality to train their staff for years. 

Organizations outside the tech world are also forging ahead with AI implementation. Coca-Cola used AI data analysis from self-service soda fountains to inform its decision to launch Cherry Sprite. Companies like Morgan Stanley equipped sixteen thousand financial advisers with machine learning algorithms that automate rote tasks, freeing up advisers to focus on client service. Other organizations like Vantage Labs (the brain behind natural language processing ability on mobile devices) has partnered with universities to use machine learning to evaluate their professors and courses based on data from students, assessment results, and passing rates on their professional board exams.

When we look at all the negative press focused around robotics—automation and the perceived loss of jobs—I feel this is misleading. The role of humans will simply change, not disappear. However, it’s worth noting that, missing a thoughtful approach, organizations may not only risk failing to identify the skills they need to take effective advantage of technology, but also suffer damage to their employee and corporate brand due to perceptions around workforce reductions.

Automation should not diminish the traits of humanity but encourage us to embrace and value them even more. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, the top thirty fastest-growing occupations for the next ten years are strong examples of humans looking after humans—nurses, therapists, and healthcare workers.

The introduction of new machines will change the skills and requirements the workforce needs to be able to take advantage of the new technologies. The greatest opportunity this may present is not just to redesign jobs, but to fundamentally rethink work architecture. Doing this involves breaking down work into its fundamental components—for instance, assessment, production, problem-solving, communication, supervision—and analyzing ways that new combinations of machines and humans working together can accomplish them, with each party bringing unique strengths to the task.

There’s an argument to say that rather than engineering humans out of the equation, AI will enable us to reach our full potential and perform better. This is known as intelligence augmentation—IA rather than AI. Embracing the latest technology in the workplace frees people up to pursue other, more rewarding tasks. If automation enables us, for example, to concentrate on building customer-centric businesses, we’ll all benefit.

As time progresses, AI will remain a moving target and we need continued research to understand its full capabilities and drive innovation and change. I believe we can expect continuing rapid adoption and maturation of AI, robotics, and automation solutions. Leading organizations are working hard to put humans in the loop—rethinking work architecture, retraining people, and rearranging the organization to leverage technology to transform business. The broader aim is not just to eliminate routine tasks and cut costs, but to create value for customers and meaningful work for people.

[1] Russell, S. J., Norvig, P., & Davis, E., Artificial intelligence: a modern approach, 3rd ed., Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, (2010).