The gigantic industry and businesses of world have been locked down for many weeks due to the frightening attack by the most unexpected enemy – a micro virus called CORONA 19. It may take months or a couple of years for the new normal to emerge for human existence. AI and Robotics have been slowly making inroads into various sectors of industry, governance, medical, banking, aviation and defence to name a few. For better or the worse the coronavirus outbreak is going to speed up the process many fold. Human element has always played an essential and dominant role in all fields but Covid-19 seems to be changing all that. As per Martin Ford, a futurist who has written about the ways robots will be integrated into the economy in the coming decades. As per him Covid-19 is going to change consumer preferences and really open up new opportunities for automation. Companies large and small are innovating and expanding use robots to increase social distancing and reduce the number of staff that have to physically come to work. Robots are also being used to perform roles workers cannot do at home.
Role of Robots
Walmart, America’s biggest retailer is using robots to scrub its floors. Robots in South Korea have been used to measure temperatures and distribute hand sanitisers. With health experts warning some social distancing measures may need to be in place through 2021, robot workers may be in greater demand. Companies that make cleaning and sanitising products have seen demand soar. UVD Robots, the Danish manufacture of ultraviolet-light-disinfection robots, shipped hundreds of its machines to hospitals in China and Europe.
Groceries and restaurants offering takeaway are using these machines more too. Experts say as more businesses re-open we can expect to see further adoption of this technology – use of robots to clean and mop schools or offices too are a possibility. Customers now care more about their safety and the safety and health of workers, says Blake Morgan, author of ‘The Customer of the Future.’ Moves towards automation can keep the customers healthier and they will reward companies for this automation by patronising them. However there may still be some limitations. Ms Morgan points out that automated checkouts at groceries should reduce human interactions but because many systems don’t work well or break easily customers avoid them and go to human cashiers instead.
Help with Social Distancing
Food service is another area where the use of robots is likely to increase because of health concerns. Fast-food chains like McDonald’s have been testing robots as cooks and servers. In warehouses, like those operated by Amazon and Walmart, robots are already being used to improve efficiency. The Covid-19 outbreak has both companies looking to increase the use of robots for sorting, shipping and packing. This may reduce the number of complaints by warehouse workers who say they cannot social-distance from their colleagues under the current conditions. This would result in job losses in these fields. Once a company has invested in replacing a worker with a robot it’s unlikely the firm will ever rehire for that role. Robots are more expensive to create and integrate into businesses but once they are up and running, robots are typically cheaper and more efficient than human workers. According to the futurist Martin Ford, using robots in the post Covid-19 world also presents some marketing advantages. People will prefer to go to a place that has fewer workers and more machines because they feel they can lower overall risk.
Role of AI
Artificial intelligence, machine learning (AI, ML) and robotic technologies are silently but increasingly automating the work tasks. It has a major potential in keeping medical records, processing high volume of medical data and identifying high risk individuals. Artificial intelligence is being developed that can replace school tutors, fitness trainers and financial advisers. Big tech companies are expanding the use of artificial intelligence. Both Facebook and Google are relying on AI to remove more inappropriate posts since the companies’ human content moderators can’t review certain things from home.
Robot sceptics had believed humans would have an edge in those jobs. That could be changing as lockdowns have made humans more comfortable with the idea of connecting remotely. The instructor or adviser on the screen doesn’t need to be a real person, it just needs to think and act like one. A 2017 report by global consultants McKinsey predicted a third of workers in the US would be replaced by automation and robots by 2030. But events like pandemics have the potential to change all the timelines and experts say it’s really up to humans to decide how they want to integrate this technology in the world.