Robots New Update

We’ve come a long way from a 2019 SIA event where they showed the Atlas video from Boston Dynamics; we saw a glimpse of what a robot worker could do.  We even wondered if a staffing company would be the first to deploy a fleet of robot workers—robots displacing manufacturing workers with their ability to take on highly repetitive tasks and dangerous jobs. We have not seen that happen yet, but today, I am blown away by the progress made to build compelling AI humanoid robots. 

Not only have robots made tremendous advances, but they’re also looking more and more like us. And frankly, it’s a little creepy. Atlas 2024

News of a groundbreaking algorithm designed by MIT that allows robots to train themselves and adapt to new tasks without having to be re-trained is mind blowing.  The combination of robotics and AI technologies paves the way for even more versatile and intelligent robots that reach far beyond the manufacturing floor to handle a wide range of tasks with minimal human intervention. 

This technology could significantly reduce deployment costs and increase the versatility of robotic systems across various sectors. Healthcare, manufacturing, and logistics stand to benefit from more flexible and intelligent robots that can quickly learn and adjust to new workflows.  

Twenty companies are already working on models that will be capable of acting like humans with access to the collective AI. The largest include Unity in China, Tesla and Figure in the US. Elon Musk estimates Tesla’s Optimus robot worker will cost $10K to build with a sale price tag of $20K. With the Tesla goal to add a thousand robot workers to their own plant, it’s anticipated they would then create a leasing program to enable other companies to enter the robot age with a low cost of entry and significant operating cost savings. 

Does 10 billion robots by 2040 seem like that far of a stretch? That’s as many robots as humans. Figure's website already reads like a solution for filling the needs of warehouse and production vacancies.  

In a recent interview with Peter Diamondis, Figure's founder, Brett Adcock talked through his vision for humanoid workers augmenting the workforce to fill current gaps, but eventually allowing humans to step away from manual work to pursue other interests. Funding is robust and clients like BMW are already slated for robot workers.

What do my staffing colleagues say -- threat or opportunity? Threat or opportunity? What does your human gut instinct say?