from Wired
IT’S IMPOSSIBLE TO talk about Boston Dynamics robots without acknowledging two things: They’re a marvel of modern engineering, and their agility can be incredibly unnerving. A 46-second 
But even as many observers joke about a robot apocalypse—or the perhaps more realistic possibility that robots will simply take humans’ jobs—Boston Dynamics insists these machines still have a long way to go. That’s one of the things Marc Raibert, the founder and chairman of Boston Dynamics, focused on in his conversation with WIRED’s Matt Simon on this week’s Get WIRED podcast.
More here.
I think if you were to ask yourself ten years ago where humanity would be, it would not be where we are today. This can be applied to the robotics industry specifically because it is evident that engineers are getting closer and closer to fully functioning robots. I was surprised to read that Spot the robot had the intellectual capacity to know to recharge, and then recharge on its own. This just proves that elements of technology are becoming self-sufficient before our eyes and we just have to learn what that means for humanity. I like how Marc Raibert, the founder and chairman of Boston Dynamics, included that the company is working to produce robots that are to work side-by-side with humans in places like warehouses where both workers would be an asset. He goes on to explain how robots can be used to perform tasks that are too dangerous for human workers to do. Initially, when I think of robot development, I worry about what that means for job opportunities because if robots are becoming more apparent in society, then won’t that diminish the number of jobs available for people? I agree that technology advancements are crucial in society today and for the future, but if it means fewer people are able to support themselves, then what is the trade-off? This article informed me that this is not always the case because big tech companies like Boston Dynamics are only producing robots to aid with human work and development – not to replace workers. However, what will this relationship between robot and human workers lead to? This could just potentially be the start of robots taking over human jobs, as mentioned before.
The concept of robots is a concept that many people did not think would be possible at one point in time. Within the last few decades, people had said that robots would not be even close to being developed enough to start taking people’s jobs, and yet, here we are. Humanity progressing faster than every expected, and robots will start taking over sooner rather than later. Technology has already taken millions of jobs, and we have not even noticed. There were times where humans had to do everything for companies, but now, a person can click a few buttons and get the job done of three people. Technology is a blessing and a curse, and it is only a matter of time before there are no jobs left for us. After reading the article and watching the video, the idea that robots will take our jobs sooner rather than later is a real possibility. In the video, it shows a robot that is able to open a door and walk through it. Now this may seem like a really simple task, but in reality, it is amazing that humans were able to program that. If they are able to make a robot open a door, what is stopping them from making these robots do other simple tasks, in which could take the jobs of millions of people. Although I do enjoy seeing new boundaries being broken every day, I think this is ultimately a very scary reality. In the article, Boston Dynamics insists that these robots have a long way to go, but I personally do not believe that this is true. Twenty years ago, we did not even have smart phones. Twenty years later we have robots that are able to open doors. I believe that what we will have in another twenty years can be so sophisticated and advanced, and the threat of losing all of these jobs is apparent. I think that if these robots are going to start taking jobs, we must create new jobs to replace those, and I believe that has already started. More and more people each year are going to school to study technology because that is the future of the world. Technology is the future, and more and more people are going to realize that, and direct their futures towards that. Unfortunately, I do not know what will happen to people who are “old school” and are not tech-savvy. This is where this huge issue lies and will continue to be a big problem.
Robots are coming for us, and it is not that far away as we think. Robots are defined as an automatic operated machine that replaces human effort, which means that robots are going to take off many employees since business owners can rely on those machines. In this case, the Boston company’s robot opens a door and it can go for a jog or do parkour, but as it has happened in the last years, robots can do whatever we want them to do. They can bring us cold drinks while we are watching TVs, they are designed to paint cars, they can assemble pieces, they can do everything. As a personal experience, my father has built its company about 30 years ago as an entrepreneur. The company, which is named with my name on it, operates for most of the car companies in the whole world. Our best clients are Ford, Ferrari, Maserati, Jeep, Fiat and Chrysler, and we are hired from them to build robots for painting and transporting pieces. However, my father has explained me that many years ago many workers had been fired, since robots replaced them and their functions in those companies. Robots are not emotional, they are machines that react to our commands, they cannot be influenced as humans, so they will be more efficient that humans. Those machines are going to change the employment in the world since low-skilled workers are going to be fired if the company invests in robots. Moreover, robots are expensive which means that most of the businesses are not going to be able to invest on those machines, but in the long term, they would be cheaper than workers. Robots cannot see what a human can see, so many workers would have a different position in the company. Workers might become robots’ supervisors in order to see if robots are doing the job in the right way. We cannot see what is going to happen in the next future, but robots will take a big part of human employment even if some workers are going to be repositioned.
Before reading this article I immediately was interested in this topic. I have always wondered the extent of our knowledge about robots and how far we are into automated robots taking over jobs. I always see videos about how AI is learning how to do tasks and by submitting them to the same tasks repeatedly they are learning how to do them better. This article is primarily just informing its reader as to how far Boston Dynamics robots have come along. This company has been trying to revolutionize and come up with different robots and mechanics that are self-sustained and self-operated. Basically, the robots take care of themselves. Their latest project and project that everyone has been talking and looking at is Atlas, the companies humanized robot dog. This dog has been programmed so well that it is able to open doors, do tasks, and when it senses that it is running low on power it can go and charge itself so that it does not die from lack of power. This is incredible progress to modern day engineering and shows just how far our world has come. This puts me in awe to think that we have designed and engineered a robot dog to do everything a dog would normally be able to do and more. The fact that the robot is self-aware enough to know that its battery is low and that it needs a charge is incredible. This is a huge step forward for the engineering department, but it is still not ready to take any jobs of ours. For the foreseeable future, robots like these will not be able to replace any human in any job environment just yet. They are ahead of their time, but they are not able to understand and do what a human would be able to do in the work environment. Sure, the robot can do a few basic tasks on its own, learning from its surroundings but it is not able to cook food or assemble products. Daniel H. Wilson, a bestselling author for the New York Times once said, “there are an endless number of things to discover about robotics. A lot of it is just too fantastic for people to believe.” (Wilson)
Robots are a very controversial topic. As technology becomes more prevalent in our society, we are seeing robots being implemented more in our everyday life. I think the reason why they are so controversial is that it is very obvious that they are beneficial and can make doing regular tasks easier, but at the same time they can take away
jobs because they can work faster and more efficiently than a human. I will say that I think it is very impressive that the people at Boston Dynamics were able to put together something that is this incredible. The types of things that robots can do compared to humans is amazing and I watched a video that explained all the amazing things that they are trying to do with these robot dogs. The only negative thing that I can say is that I cannot wrap my head around the idea of these little robot dogs everywhere, it is a little frightening honestly. Also, when they are all lined up together, in sync, it looks like a scene out of a movie where these robots take over the world. Technically, as far as robots go, we are still in the beginning stages, so I am very intrigued to see the types of creations that people come up with as the technology progresses. I am sure that there is a lot that goes into developing a robot like this because I feel like they need to be prepared for any situation that may arise. From the video I watched and read the article, I see that there are a lot of tests to prepare the robots for any situation that they may encounter. Something that stuck out to me as a rebuttal for people who believe that these robots are taking human jobs; “ And when it comes to robots taking our jobs, Boston Dynamics tends to position these machines as a form of augmentation to human labor, capable of helping us out with tasks that may be too dangerous for humans alone to attempt.” In simpler terms, Boston Dynamics makes its products to help humans instead of completely take over. This just shows how technology is always advancing to adapt to it is current society. I think that these robots and other ones can be very beneficial, but it is just like anything else in the sense that too much of it would not be good.
Today, technology has been becoming bigger than ever with technology industries such as Space X becoming huge. With technology advancing, the question rose, “Will there be robots who take over human jobs?” Back in middle school, if I were asked this question, I would have said robots being created, in general, is impossible and unrealistic. This topic started to get popular when I entered high school and my psychology professor told me that cashiers were bound to get replaced with technology, such as robots. Today, engineers have been working harder than ever and have been more successful to complete a functionable robot. Marc Raibert, the founder and chairman of Boston Dynamics, states how these robots are not made to take over human jobs, but simply to make human jobs easier with the advancement of technology. I believe that this is a great idea because jobs are not getting diminished and robots are being created to work alongside with humans. Although Mr. Raibert says that these robots will not take over the human jobs, I just do not see how it will not if the robots do a flawless job. For a business owner, buying robots, who can do a human job, will be much more efficient, because the owner does not have to pay humans weekly. However, for the rest of the humans in the workfield, it is unfortunate because if these robots end up taking their jobs, how will they make money and support their families? These robots are not coming out for a while, so luckily we do not have to worry about it during a pandemic, but having robots are still worrying for human jobs. Like I said earlier, Raibert stresses how human jobs will not be replaced, but I just do not see this happening. One thing I do agree with creating robots is how it could be useful for having them do jobs that humans can not achieve. For instance, Raibert was impressed that Space X, which was invented by Elon Musk, sent robots to space, which is a safer alternative than having humans do the job.
When talking about technological advances, a lot of times the first thing that will come to people’s minds is “Flying cars.” For whatever reason, this has been the measuring stick for advancement ever since cars became a large part of our society. But when looking at advancements like this, it begs the question “How far have we come technologically as a society?” And I think the only answer to that question, as evidenced by this article, is farther than we ever anticipated. Like the article opens with, these new technological advancements we are making, while not being flying cars, never cease to amaze us. The article says that “A 46-second video of Spot the robot “dog” opening a door has more than 56 million views on YouTube.” I think that this volume of views that this video received is evidence of how amazed we as a society still become when a significant technological advancement is made by a company. Despite the amazing advancements we still see on a near everyday basis, the creator of these devices, Boston Dynamics, still argues that they have a long way to go before they advance anything to the point of taking over human beings’ jobs. If people were worried about these robots taking our jobs, the owner of Boston Dynamics does his best to ensure us that those worries are not ones that we should have. He says that most of the robots are created in an attempt to help humans finish their jobs at a quicker rate rather than to take over their jobs. He also says that many of them are made to help human beings complete tasks that they otherwise would not be physically able to complete. It is amazing to think about the continuous technological advancements that we see in our society. Just imagine working side by side with a robot to try and complete the task that you are required to do at your job. We may not be at flying cars just yet, but it is truly amazing to think about just how far we have come in these developments.
Many people would say that the world is in the middle of a technological revolution. While I do think technology makes many of our lives easier, I do not think robots are the answer. In the past couple of years, many of companies have developed advanced machinery that is meant to perform specific tasks. We see in mainly in the manufacturing district of the economy, but there are other sectors that use it as well. The main reason I do not think robots are the way to go is because it will lay of so many people from their jobs. We have seen with some companies already. These robots and machinery may cost a lot upfront, but it ends up paying for itself in the long run because it can handle larger tasks and get jobs done quicker than humans. Machines are also proven to have a lower margin of error than humans. This will cause major problems in the future if companies start using robots to perform tasks. Thousands, if not millions of people will be laid off from work and will have no income to provide for themselves and their families. These workers had special training and education for these jobs, and they do not know how to work in any other sector. By having to find a new job would be like starting from complete scratch and having to find a brand-new job. Replacing humans with robots will also have a serious affect on the economy. It will make the unemployment rate skyrocket and it would probably stay that way for an extended period of time. It will definitely be interesting to see how technology progresses in the near future. It is just a matter of time before companies in all sectors to adapt technology to make jobs and task get done quicker and with less error. I am a finance major, and I can only hope that the jobs in my field will not be replaced with technology. If that is the case one day, I really do not know what I would do or where I would turn for a new job.
After watching Boston Dynamic’s Spot and Atlas doing tasks and backflips autonomously, I knew I wanted one. However, a base Spot model costs $74,500, so I’ll revisit the site later.
While many fear the prospect of robots replacing humans in jobs that are monotonous, seeing robots do these amazing things can inspire younger generations to consider a career in engineering or software development. Since many believe those will be the only high paying jobs in the future, that is likely a good consequence of showing off the robots. How many kids have SpaceX inspired to pursue a career in science by streaming their rockets live?
While robots like Spot and Atlas are meant to assist in disaster relief by traversing dangerous or unknown environments, we’ve seen a robot flip burgers and make drinks at a bar. The tasks are pretty basic for now, but as machine learning and AI becomes more advanced, we can expect machines to be able to perform tasks that are less repetitive well.
Until then, we should invest the time to learn how to code, even if it’s just learning how programming works. There are tons of YouTube videos that can teach you the basics of programming. As Seton Hall students, we have free access to LinkedIn Learning which offers many courses on hundreds of topics, not just programming.
glooks very unnerving and creepy. With the long legs and snake-like head, it does not look like a nice robot. And the fact that it moves the way it does while looking the way it does, will probably cause some skepticism. The fact that it moves so well is really surprising. I have not seen something so mechanic move so well, it almost looks like a human or animal. This robot can do great things, and I think also there is worry because if it is programmed to so something bad to someone, it could with great efficiency. Also if it is paired with AI, which is another side of super advanced technology, it can be even that more scary. People think of an army of those things turning on humans, but more realistically the job replacement is very possible since machines have been replacing human jobs for a long time. The problem is the AI and being able to adapt correctly.
With the release of the Mortal Kombat 11 expansion titled Aftermath, the developers at Nether Realm Studios were able to get the license to the popular action movie franchise Terminator, and were able to get the titular character as a playable fighter in the game. This may seem like an extremely weird way to comment on the work that Boston Dynamics has been completing over the various years to achieve working robots, but the connections between the Terminator franchise and my own worries of the robots being worked on in the present are mostly my own fear mongering. I only realized this after reading the article itself, published in Wired, and had a revelation concerning the likelihood of a robot revolution. Whatever Boston Dynamics makes does not increase the danger that robots will take over the world, and not only because of how much more work the current models need to do anything resembling human actions. No, the real reason robots are not going to go all “destroy all humans” is due to a lack of well made artificial intelligence to go with it. Regardless of whether we would even ever want to pursue a goal like that, a lack of either meaningful artificial or human intelligence makes many hopes companies and potential consumers have for future robots to be more far off than initially hoped or expected. For example, while Boston Dynamics has made this new type of robot that can do several tasks by itself, it is programmed on a script or controlled by human operators. There is still no problem solving in these metal men as of yet. They do not even look like anything human either yet ironically enough. Our most fantastical fears and imaginations of what robots would look like, from Gort from The Day The Earth Stood Still to H.E.R.B.I.E. in the Fantastic Four, are a far cry from what the reality of robots are or are projected to look like. However, catering to what people think they prefer instead of what they actually need leads to the death of innovation. So while I may be disappointed that I will not be able to command a legion of Terminators in the near future, I can at least be confident in the fact that I will see what exciting results the future brings eventually.
At the beginning of the 2000’s the idea of robots potentially being capable of preforming human tasks would be an outlandish science fiction idea. Now, not so much. Robots and especially artificial intelligence have taken the science world by storm. There is a niche space race if you will to see who creates the first functioning AI program. Although this idea seems interesting it is incredibly alarming as it is the next biggest step for mankind. Regardless about how you feel about artificial intelligence, everyone can agree that it poses many challenges. How can you coexist with something which continuously improves at a rate which humans cannot. The idea that AI preform at a much higher rate than humans are capable of is shown through many many films. One of the best is “Ex-Machina”. The movie essentially highlights how dangerous it is to create this type of technology as it would be capable of outsmarting its inventor. Unfortunately, this may actually be the case as the programming would allow for the robot to consistently learn from its mistakes and not make them again. Something which humans do quite frequently. In this sense, there will be a time where humans are fighting for the jobs which robots want. This’ll create a major rift in the flow of the world as eventually, mankind will become obsolete. However, this hypothetical isn’t going to happen overnight as the article explains. Mankind is very far away from destroying itself by creating robots and AI so sophisticated they can outsmart us.
Boston Dynamic’s robots marvel individuals and spectators with their modern and innovative engineering. To illustrate, Spot the robot dog has amassed more than 56 million views on YouTube. This headless humanoid robot is able to recharge on its own, can go for a jog, and even do parkour. Founder and Chairmen of Boston Dynamics, Marc Raibert explained Spot’s dexterity and real time perception of the physical world. By altering the environment of where the robots are tested, Spot is able to become more adaptive to the real world. New designing attachments created by Boston Dynamics include a manipulator arm and a mobile base is game changing in this specific field. There is no indication that these robots will replace human labor, in fact they will perform tasks that are deemed too dangerous for humans to execute by themselves. This is a positive outlook for the human-robot relationships and the possibilities that these partnerships create. Moreover, Spot has been used in Elon Musk’s SpaceX rocket launch. This demonstrates the robots unprecedent ability to perform routine inspections and capture data in a safer and more efficient manner. The final positive to these robots is their predictability, which allows the operator to coordinate a routine more adequately and accurately from afar.
If we go back a near 25 years ago society was at a point where technological advancements were at a minimum and the internet was nearly unused. Primarily used by scholars, scientists, and military members the internet was at the beginning stages of its life along with some of the huge corporations we see today everywhere. Machines are now at a point that people would have never imagined. Once the innovation began it produced more at an exponential rate. Jobs have begun to be taken by some “robots” that can complete the work faster and at a cheaper price. A lot of peoples fear is the job market will slowly diminish because robots will begin to be able to complete almost all current jobs we have. I personally have never thought of that as a possibility because of the need for real human workers across fields. Certain fields will have more robotic “takeovers” than others but under no circumstance will robots ever have full control over it. They are used to make things easier for the employees at the companies and can be used as resources not job stealers. I usually had heard these types of beliefs from older people as they experienced the full technological revolution to the point we are at now. Seeing things they are not accustomed to has them scared, worried, and confused while most younger people know robots will never actually take over. Although technology has evolved farther than most believe, but not as far as entertainment suggested such as the Jetsons and Back to the Future, we will always be needed to do work. Robots will continue to be used to help us reach places we cannot as the article suggests. Weather it be sending them places we cannot reach such as deeper space or deeper in the ocean they will be used. Even to continue advancements in education they will be used. People shouldn’t fear the future that robots can take over rather be aware of what they can do and use it correctly.
Robots are coming and quickly. While this article has highlighted that Boston, University has not fully developed their model for a robot within the workplace, it can be interpreted that it is coming and quickly. I have no problems with robots at all, but I am nervous about the workplace when it comes to robots about to ruling the world. If you think about it, the unemployment rate is going to sky rocket because companies are going to invest in a robot that can do twenty things at once instead of one person only being able to do three or four things at once. The rate in which the company would have to pay money would go down because the one payment of a robot would be up front with minimum payments instead of paying an employee per hour in hopes of them succeeding throughout. Robots are not the solution to the problem. The problem of workers productivity is within the company, so if they replace workers, they are not helping the problem but instead replacing it with a solution that may not work. These robots do have benefits because once you design the robot to do the specific task there is no way there will go against the orders. They have been using these in warehouses which could help since the rate of employees getting hurt in warehouses is high. These robots would decrease the workers comp. within the company and would also allow for a lower rate of compensation. One point that I completely agree with is that robots could go where people cannot go. Such as Elon Musk having robots work on the rocket due to the people not being able to due to the risk. The highest risks jobs would be most beneficial to the robots but if you think about it the people get paid the most for working in the high-risk situations. Overall, I think that robots are beneficial in situations, but we should never get into the position where robots will surpass people in jobs due to that increasing the unemployment rate.
The introduction of robots into daily life has been happening for years, just not in the form of humanoid robot dogs. When we walk into any grocery store, chances are that there will be at least one self-checkout system. Instead of having six cashiers, the store only needs one who will oversee the self-checkouts simultaneously. In production and manufacturing factories, many robots work in place of human beings because they are more efficient and less susceptible to human error. With both of these examples, the total output of the factory and the grocery store increases tremendously when utilizing non-human factors of production. While humans will not be entirely phased out from the production floor and the grocery floor anytime soon because there has to be someone to program the robots and repair or upgrade the robots as needed, the increasing innovation of Boston Dynamics reveals that these jobs can someday even be taken over.
Both of my living and breathing dogs combined cost my family and me about $25 in total when we bought them as puppies. This is about 0.0004% of the cost to buy Boston Dynamic’s Atlas Robot Dog, which costs about $74,500. Not only is this price definitely out of my budget for a pet, but I also do not believe it would be a good replacement for the personality, affection, and bond that has been formed between my dogs and me. Regardless, the invention of a mostly functioning robot dog is incredible, however, I see its application used in more practical situations than as a pet. This same technology can be used to enhance engineering creations already available today while introducing completely new possibilities. Robots can be used in a plethora of ways that would benefit humans more than harm when it comes to jobs lost. They can serve as a bomb/hostage negotiation vehicle that can be put into harm’s way instead of a human being. They can possibly perform in hazardous environments, such as space, radioactive locations, or anywhere else a human could not easily survive without loads of protective gear. Despite my viewing of many Hollywood films where all the robots try to take over the world, I believe that they can serve a practical and important purpose in today’s world as technology advances. I hope to continue to hear about the engineering and coding marvels that companies like Boston Dynamics have been able to achieve. While I may not introduce a robot into my family anytime soon, I would gladly watch the robots become more and more commonplace in our everyday lives, even more so than they already are.
I had no idea about Boston Dynamics’ robots until I read the Wired article and it is super interesting. The article also brings up scary points about our future life. We are going to be depending on robots in the future. Whether it is in the near or far future it is still going to happen. The Boston Dynamics’ robots are truly terrifying. They look like dogs that are capable of charging themselves, opening doors, and going for a jog. What is even more interesting about this article is that we as outsiders think this is amazing and futuristic, but the people creating these robots think that they have barely gotten started. They say they have a ton more work to do. Even though we know that eventually robots will take some of our jobs, they can be super useful in jobs that are not replaceable with robots. The article mentions that these robots can learn to do tasks that are to risky for people. This would be beneficial to so many people that are risking their lives to do jobs every day. The robots may also be beneficial to construction workers who do not want to risk climbing roofs and falling off. The article also mentions how it could be beneficial for businesses to create human and robot lanes in warehouses so that both can work together productively. Truly, robots can be taught or programmed to do anything humans need them to do. In the past, I have been against all types of robots because of my idea that they will take away so many jobs that families need to make a life for themselves. After reading this article, my outlook is much different. I think robots like the Boston Dynamics’ ones can be useful to this country. Instead of taking away jobs it can improve the efficiency of ones that already exist. It can make warehouse jobs much more productive and structured. With the use of robots in some job fields, it can take away risk of the workers getting injured or even something more extreme, such as dying. Robots like the ones pictured in the article can be super beneficial for many different types of jobs without taking away the ones that exist. Robots will not be put into the workforce one day unannounced, but it will happen slowly over time. Eventually, the productivity level in the United States and jobs specifically will rise, and this will all be thanks to robots like Boston Dynamics’.
Robots have been on the up and coming for a little while now and many of them have cemented themselves into our daily lives like self checkout registers, machinery on assembly lines etc. But the robots from Boston Dynamics are on a whole other level. Spot the dog in my opinion is sort of silly. For the Price tag of $74,500, it seems absurd to think about it ever being purchased by consumers. I don’t think a robotic dog could ever replace a real dog no matter how lifelike they make it. It is truthfully scary that in the now we depend on plenty of robots to accomplish our daily tasks, and how much more they are going to affect us in the future. Jobs that require strenuous thought will be the only jobs left after robots take over all jobs involving manual labor, and as they continue to get more advanced, my thoughts are filled more and more with the possibility of a robot revolution where they turn sentinel and attempt to take over. Robots already have already made a significant impact on various societies in other nation. I read an article from jpinfo.com about 3 of Japan’s most famous robot celebrities. People in Japan go to concerts to see robots perform music. Again, I thought this was absurd because you are paying money to go to a concert hall to have someone behind the stage DJing a whole set for an animatronic lifelike robot. But cultures are vastly different everywhere so who am I to judge. Although we are just in the beginning of the robot times, I am in fear for the future. I picture robots taking over almost all tasks, and forcing us into the universe of the Wall-E movie If you haven’t seen it, it is a dystopian movie where all of the human race has become lazy and unhealthy and they live in these individual pods that drive them around. This is not ideal, as robotics become more advanced, the human minds amidst them will get softer because of the lack of work they have to do.
This is the future. Watching the videos of these robots opening doors and charging itself is incredibly cool. I constantly find myself saying this, but if you showed these videos to someone 10-15 years ago, they would never believe what they are seeing. The technological advancements we have seen in recent years is extraordinary. People have made impossible things come to life. Another cool thing I have seen is a food delivery robot. On some college campuses, mini-robots carrying people’s food drive themselves directly to the person who ordered the food. Once the food is removed from its pouch, the robot turns around and drives away. Some people have already gotten over that, but I still find it very cool.
However, these robots are not here to be out pets or friends. Although they are not going to malfunction and try to kill humans, they are going to take some jobs away from people. These robots, if made correctly, will be able to jobs quicker and more efficiently than humans. I remember talking to my dad before choosing a college and a major. It was important for me to consider a job that would be harder for a robot to do. Although they may be able to do most jobs, some jobs are better off with real people doing them. Since there are already so many companies implementing these robots into jobs such as data analysis, the stealing of jobs has already begun.
It is hard to fault companies for choosing robots over humans because they are cheaper, more efficient, and overall better workers. They do not need time off or benefits, just an occasional inspection. There are few reasons to choose humans over robots, coming from a company’s perspective. Personally, I am opposed to robots taking so many jobs. Countless people will be out of work and will no longer be able to support their families. Walking into stores with no human interaction would be cold and unwelcoming. Robots are cool to watch when they open doors or deliver food, but they will not be when they take your job.
I personally am always interested in robots and how they operate so this article instantly caught my attention. According to the author of this blog Boston Dynamics new robots are “a marvel of modern engineering, and their agility can be incredibly unnerving.” There is a viral video out there a robot dog called “Spot” opening a door. This video went crazy viral and got 56 million views on YouTube. According to the company the robot dog can do many other things such as go for a jog and do parkour stunts. The company gave the public more insight on how the robot dog functions and showed us how it recharges itself. The author of this blog claims that many people fear a “robot apocalypse” but Boston Dynamics still feels like their company still has a long way to go with this technology. Marc Raibert, the founder and chairman of Boston Dynamics, said this while on a podcast, “There’s a lot of mobility, dexterity, real-time perception of the world around us. [The robots] are good. They are getting better all the time. But there is a lot more we need to do.” The chairman also feels like companies will have to redesign workspaces so robots can work along side human employees. Boston Dynamics is aware people may fear robots taking people’s jobs, but they see these robots as “a form of augmentation to human labor, capable of helping us out with tasks that may be too dangerous for humans alone to attempt.” Elon Musk has also been using these robots to help with his SpaceX. I found this blog to be very interesting. It is definitely kind of scary to think about how robots will have a big role in our society at some point. I think it is also fair for people to worry about robots taking our jobs. If companies can buy a robot to do a job which is much cheaper than paying a person to do it they will take the robot every time. It is tough to tell in how many years these robots will be heavily involved in the workforce, but I would not be surprised if it happens within the next 10 years. I hope the job I end up with is not affected by this. Robots could easily put many people out of jobs. It is obvious that these robots are still very helpful though. They can do things that no human can possibly do and can do tasks that are way to dangerous for humans.
Advancing technology and robots have always been an interest of mine. I am largely in favor electric cars and have been very interested in Tesla and the self-driving capabilities of their care ever since hearing about them. The way that the car can monitor the traffic around it and navigate the roads safely is very fascinating to me. Technology has come such a long way that robots have self-automation have experienced great advancements. When reading the title of the article I did not think about robots taking away jobs in the same way as author. When thinking about robots in the workplace I was thinking about self-automated checkouts and the robotic assistants and cleaners that many places have began to utilize. However, this article makes an interesting claim about robots being able to do the jobs that could be too dangerous for humans such as being utilized by SpaceX during their launches. This could be a very practical way to introduce the use of robots in the workplace and possibly lead to many benefits in the future. Despite this they are still far away from reaching a point where this is possible. The article addresses how mobility, dexterity, and real-time perceptions of robots is good and is getting better but still too far away from being able to apply robots in work environments. The article addresses the robot dog and the amount of attention that it has attracted but more along the lines of robots that can do the work of humans I would like to mention a video that I have seen on Twitter before. There was a robot that was running through combat training. It was able to get up when knocked down and was able to shoot targets with great accuracy while being sure not to shoot at any humans during the video. It was an incredible display of the advancements in robotics and showed a place for practical implementation. Like the article states about using robots where it is unsafe for humans, where is more unsafe than a combat or warfare situation. If it is possible to have robot engage in combat before the soldiers do to aid them and most likely provide an advantage I can realistically see a use for them here. I know that it is still a pretty long way away but it is something to think about and this article was very interesting.
The thought that robots will be in our future is not far off and is not unrealistic. Everyday, every week, every month and every year technology is developing into a better version it once was. With many advances, the idea of robots is not surprising. When you really begin to think about it, robots are all around us. AI systems are computer systems that can operate something usually only humans can, and they are all around us: Hey Google, Alex, Siri and so much more. Looking at it, you probably did not even realize that these are the start of robots. With this advancement, Boston Dynamics’ Robot Dog was something many people found fascinating. The dog was videoed opening a door and this was very advanced. The article argues that while many people are discussing a robot apocalypse, Boston Dynamics says they have a long way to go before it goes there. Elon Musk is another strong force in the technological world. His idea dealing with AI Systems and defending ourselves from them is to have humans chipped and develop programs that prevent ourselves from letting our technology destroy us, which is bound to happen. When you think about it, we will never stop developing as there is so much more we can do with technology, and what happens once we created a robot that can do our chores. Then a robot that can run our errand. Then a robot that can help us with class. Then a robot that can do our jobs. Once we get to that point, human purpose will no longer exist. If there is something that can do your job, you are no longer needed. It is important that we deal with technology in careful ways as it can lead us down the wrong path. In a story called “The Veldt”, summarized, it shows perfectly the scary things technology is capable and is a great short story that I would recommend to read. It shows how not only technology will be our future, but that it can manipulate us. Technology is scary, yet we will never stop exploring it.
When I look into the future, I see a majority of every day life fixed around technology and robotics. We even see small robotic things today that we really do not account for. For example, talking to an in adamant object like your iphone and hearing “Siri” respond is not something that you see in the past. This is just one example of how technology is becoming a daily use and taking over our lives.
People today take interest in how robotics are being developed and how they become part of society. According to the article, Spot the robot dog had more than 56 million views on youtube. This clearly shows how interested and intrigued people are about this development. There is something that people are not thinking about though. What is going to happen to the job market in the future? If the jobs are being run by robots because they are “faster” than humans, unemployment would start and that could cause a huge problem for the working class families of the future. Marc Raibert, the founder of Boston Dynamics, states that these robots will have a major impact on the productivity of workplaces such as warehouses. He also said that the robots will be able to work side-by-side with human employee. Although this may be good for production and not put every human employee in unemployment, what about the jobs the robots are taking over? Humans can easily work the same jobs as these robots would with enough experience and training. College degrees for certain jobs are going to be worth less than they are now because there will not be any job positions available due to technology. The question an employer may ask themselves is: Why would i have a human do this job and risk making mistakes when I could have a programmed robot doing all the work perfectly? It will be very tough for people to find a job straight out of college and that could lead them to finding less paying jobs that they could be working for a year or even more. All of this is a worry that I fear will come true in the future and society should realize and take note of that.
Robots are an inevitable step in the evolution of the world. Any science fiction movie could tell you that. But who would have guessed that we are so close to having functioning robots in the world. This robot dog opening a door may seem unimpressive, but the technology involved for the dog to recognize that there was a door in front of it and to calibrate its robot arm to open the door, is very impressive. Many companies have automated assembly lines, and many think that could be the limit of robotics in the workplace, but with the way things are progressing, who knows the real limits of these robotics. I would imagine that these robotics will not take any jobs from people, but it instead makes their jobs easier. Also in some cases doing dangerous tasks instead of people so nobody gets hurt. Man people are intimidated by the idea of robotics in the work place, but it does more good than harm.
The idea of robot’s replacing humans in the workforce has been a large topic for many years, but I have not seen anything that makes me think that this could become a reality to this point. Boston Dynamic’s Robots are very cool to watch do their tasks because this is seemingly something right out of Star Wars with the droids. However, I do not think that these robots have the capability to take our jobs, or at least not all of them. The main application that I could see robots in right now is warehouse working and in particular, inventory. Many shipments of inventory are incredibly heavy and with the weight of inventory shipments, comes a dangerous possibility of the inventory falling on someone. Or maybe, instead of having to use a forklift, a robot could crawl up to the top shelf and grab the product that the customer is searching for. A reason why I do not think that robots will be taking our jobs any time soon is simply because the robots will be incredibly expensive to produce on a massive scale, as well as the fact that many of the robots still need human input to accomplish the tasks that need to be done. Electronics Specifier discusses this human input and how it takes place in the food packing business. Their article talks about how humans are needed to deal with stoppages and other issues. However, they believe that this issue can be solved by using artificial intelligence. The artificial intelligence will be there in order to have different functions for different situations in order to create an outcome more efficiently. In the previous example of the food packing industry, the artificial intelligence would be there to slow the production line. Going back to Simon’s article, I could see the idea of robots working in accordance with humans a more likely reality then robots just replacing humans in the workforce entirely. The robots would be there in order to do all the things that the humans cannot or maybe just be there to do them more efficiently. It is really amazing to see what technology can do when it is evolved, so maybe the application of robots into the work force is not as far away as I think it is. Who knows, maybe in a couple of years we will be living in a world similar to Star Wars.
https://www.electronicspecifier.com/industries/robotics/looking-at-practical-applications-within-ai-in-robotics
In my opinion, the issue of automation is one that should be discussed far more often in political debates and on the news. While technology continues to develop and businesses look for new ways everyday to save money, automation is becoming a more and more threatening conclusion for American workers. A job that has millions of Americans in fear of their future is one of the most commonly held jobs across the country: truck drivers. It’s no secret that self-driving cars are already in the works and use of automated drivers could save large corporate businesses billions of dollars. In doing so, it will also eliminate millions of jobs and destroy the lives of American families. Enhancing automation to this point may increase stats like GDP, but these numbers are misleading to the actual success of the people working in the American economy. It’s essential that our political leaders acknowledge automation and put forth a plan on how we can prevent it from stealing jobs from millions of hard working Americans.
Robots and AIs taking over jobs is not a new issue, it has been a problem for the past decades. The spinning jenny replaced weavers, buttons displaced elevator operators, and the Internet drove travel agencies out of business. One study estimates that about 400,000 jobs were lost to automation in U.S. factories from 1990 to 2007. But the drive to replace humans with machinery is accelerating as companies struggle to avoid workplace infections of COVID-19 and to keep operating costs low. The U.S. lost around 40 million jobs at the peak of the pandemic, and while some have come back, some will never return. U.S. Economists have estimated that 42% of the jobs lost are gone forever.
The article focused on the advancement with the Boston Dynamics robot, but as far as I know, automated robots are already capable of so much more. There are restaurants in Hong Kong that have replaced the cook, the waitress, and are operating entirely with robots because of the pandemic. The customers of those restaurants have reported that the taste is not an issue with the restaurant and service is incredibly fast. This highlights the issue I find in robots replacing humans in jobs, the production rate with robots would be significantly higher, making the supply almost indefinite. Which poses threat to the invisible hand of the market and making future job creation nearly impossible.
It is clear that technology is slowly taking jobs that people used to have to do. For example, there are security robots with cameras in malls that roam the mall and will follow someone who appears to be suspicious. There are people who watch the footage, but it does require less labor. One security guard can watch the mall from various locations with multiple robots. Before these robots were accessible, a security guard would have to physically do the job and can obviously be in only one place at once.
I believe as COVID-19 progresses and human contact remains dangerous, machines like Boston Dynamics robots will become more common sooner than expected. The least amount of human contact possible is the safest option. Robots, like the robot dog, can take place of some jobs that require contact with a consumer. Companies that are working on these projects may use COVID-19 as an opportunity to get their products out there.
The article states that the robots are not meant to take jobs away from people, they are just meant to work alongside people and make the job easier. This, however, does not seem very plausible. If there are extremely efficient robots to do jobs, there is less of a demand for human labor. Companies will not need as many employees if there are machines that can do the work faster. This may also create a cut in pay for people who are working laborious jobs. There is less of a demand so there will be a dip in salary. This especially applies for jobs of high risk. If a job is dangerous to perform, the employee is paid a higher amount. However, if there is a machine that can perform the same activity repeatedly with no risk, it is the smarter option for employers to invest in the machine. People would have to lower their rates to give employers a reason to higher them rather than buying these robots. While these robots do have some benefits, like sanitation and efficiency, they put many people’s careers at risk, as they will be in lower demand.
The development of robots has grown so far that now, companies are creating machines that have the intellectual capacity to open doors, walk, run, do parkour, avoid obstacles, and even charge themselves when need be. It is very interesting that people seem to always find a way to change their environment through technological development; not very long ago, the technological inventions that people commonly harness today were thought of as mere science-fictional objects that would either never be achievable, or could be achieved in the far future with great technological leaps and bounds. For example, the flip phone was based off the communication device used in Star Trek, a setting which took place hundreds of years in the future. However, our civilization managed to figure out mobile phones only a couple decades after the show’s release; we also figured out how to improve on the technology, affixing the device with a touch screen, camera, applications, and many other features which people at the time of Star Trek’s release could not imagine for themselves or even for their children.
The same sort of phenomenal technological advancement is seen through the robots being created at Boston Dynamics. It always amazes me to think that I have the ability to witness the creation of more advanced robotics. Eventually, the robots that people create will be so advanced that they can be confidently employed by businesses to carry out tasks that people will no longer need to do. A common thought amongst people who are concerned about the increasing productivity and efficiency in robots is the inevitable loss of jobs as a result of the advancement in robotics. Ultimately, it is difficult to accurately determine which jobs will be lost to robots, and how exactly it will affect society and culture as a whole. What can be reasonably assumed is that the loss of jobs will happen progressively, starting with occupations that are constituted by menial tasks and labor. An example where people can already see this transition is the “robots” at McDonald’s who take your order, that provide customers with the ability to pay for their order at the screen, and a number is provided to customers to indicate to employees which order belongs to who. The job associated with these tasks is deemed no longer necessary; this loss may not be completely detrimental, as it is imaginable that there are not many people who enjoy that job and are actually happy to see something else doing it. A job at McDonald’s employed by a person would probably then constitute more than just manning a register and taking peoples’ orders. Instead, an employee would be more involved with the food and ensuring that the food is of exceptional quality, all orders are correct, and all customers’ wants, needs, and/or concerns are met. Therefore, overall, human employees would be considered to have a more important role and can offer more to the company. In the future, people may be commonly educated to repair and manage robots and other similar technologies. The only thing that can be said for certain regarding the advancement concerning robots is that it will bring significant change to the economy, the workforce and work environment, and education for all ages.
This is what our technology will be in the next 12-15 years maybe. Robots opening doors and many things we never thought of that will happen. We literally have a Tesla car that runs on energy and its very crazy. I can’t wait to see what the future has in store for us. Robots taking the spot of human workers is actually very crazy, who will get paid ? how will this all work out or function, we don’t know but the idea of this happening is insane. Most experts say robots will increasingly improve as they keep doing the easy jobs that workers think are boring. by taking over certain tasks, rather than replacing them wholesale. Others fear that with robots taking over the work force, there won’t be any really jobs to hire people at and lack of money will be a problem. But what’s clear is that robots are marching into the American workplace. Robots excel at straightforward, repetitive tasks that tend to be mundane and boring for humans. however when I said earlier how will they function or work when the article says they struggle with more complex work where conditions often change or emotional intelligence is required. I think since this is going to happen soon, people will go on unemployment and it will be a disaster as money will be lacked. I feel like with this whole pandemic how it already happened and how unemployment rates and money went up, imagine if robots took over and people were scrambling for a job. however there are concerns of new technologies disrupting the workforce and causing job losses have been around for a long time. also the pros side is automation will create better new jobs and erase the need for physical labor. The counterclaim is that people without the appropriate skills will be displaced and not have a job in the new future with robots.
Technological advancements are accelerating at an incredible rate. Every day more and more advancements arise in our world, and it gets more and more concerning for some people. We have gone through having barely functional computers to robots with proper mobility, and somewhat competent “thought” through programming. Robots would be seen as more disposable than a human worker, leading to them possibly taking over highly dangerous jobs and positions. The robots are being developed solely to assist and help humans, but of course further advancements may cause concern for some people. A game called Detroit Become Human has an incredibly in-depth story about sentient and capable androids and how their human counterparts interact. The story shows how many people felt uncomfortable and annoyed with the new capable robots; and i can assume that it would be similar in the real world
When I first saw this robot “dog” on social media, I instantly thought of the show Black Mirror. In the episode, the robot chased a woman and would not stop until she was dealt with. As predicted, the ending was not a happy ending. From the show, this leads me into thinking how this is not a good idea at all. From the article’s title to the advancement of technology and the episode of Black Mirror, I believe we should not continue with this particular project. As we continue to produce more Artificial Intelligence, we only have one chance at making it right and only for good intentions. One little mistake can lead to a catastrophe. Society will work alongside technology, or technology will completely overpower humans. We have been warned countless times due to predictions, entertainment, etc. Although the article states that we have a long way to go in terms of how advanced we are, I believe we are getting pretty close.
Several people would believe that Artificial Intelligence is the “next big thing” and could improve society, but it depends. The use of technology can either go extremely well or be detrimental to society or even the whole world. There is no in-between. The article quotes how the robots can be “capable of helping us out with tasks that may be too dangerous for humans alone to attempt” (4, Goode). Although this seems ideal, I believe that they can become so advanced to the point where they will take over our jobs. For me, we only have one chance to make Artificial intelligence right. We cannot mess this up.
On the other hand, some would agree that we should continue using advanced technology because this can aid humans with tasks that are too dangerous for us. Honestly, we are weak compared to the strength AI can lend us and improve society in different ways. In conclusion, we only have one chance at making technology beneficial for humans because this can cause a catastrophe with one simple mistake. Artificial Intelligence can either be the best decision or the worst decision we have made.
Advancements in society are usually very helpful, and in today’s age we can see how they have made life a lot easier. However, there are some issues that come with advancements whether it be mental, physical, or economic.
The idea of robots helping with labor will help both big and small businesses, but it will also take over a lot of jobs. Looking at a political aspect, many republicans have had issues with illegal immigrants taking over the job market. Yet in reality, the advancements of robots for labor is essentially a similar issue.
Overall, robotics is advancing stagnantly but the effect is not seen in society today. The closest we feel to robotic labor is self-checkout and even with that many people are in disagreement, but it does help speed the checkout process which consumers find helpful. But if we switch to robot cashiers, it seems that it could lead to many protests and even lawsuits on both state and federal levels. The idea of advancement is good, but we must take into consideration the effects of society and the people both in the short and long term.