Does a Robot Society Start in Manufacturing?

Despite Hollywood’s constant warnings of robot takeovers, we’re closer than some may realize when it comes to the development of autonomous robotic machines. Take a closer look at manufacturing facilities and you’ll see a plethora of different robotic equipment being used to manipulate and transport materials. 

Industrial parks have become some of the leading clientele for robotic equipment powered by Artificial Intelligence (AI). Their large-scale demand for innovative robotics is influencing significant advancement in software development, allowing smarter programs to catch up to more agile machinery. 

Over time, it must be asked: Is this where a robot society is born? Will demand for more efficient machinery become so extreme that sentience starts in a factory? If so, what would that look like and how would labor practices change as a newly intelligent collective is asked to continue performing manual labor?

History of Robotics in Manufacturing

Since the mid-1950s, robotics has played a growing role in the development of industry and modern factories. The launch of the Unimate created a significant impact on industrial production with companies like General Motors buying the equipment in bulk for their automobile factories. 

During the next few decades, development in industrial robotics continued at an impressive pace, outperforming AI research in the 1980s when a surge of private companies began releasing competing models for factories to purchase. 

By the turn of the century, AI was finally ready for integration with robotics following improvements in Deep Learning that allowed algorithms to become more complex using neural networks. Coupled with Swarm Intelligence, this led to the development of cobots, or collaborative robots, that are uniquely designed to help humans operate in factories. These machines fill a number of different roles and tasks in production facilities like Tesla Plants, moving around large pieces of equipment and installing bulky items. 

Current State of Robotics in Manufacturing

According to the report European Union: Industries Invest Heavily in Robotics published by the International Federation of Robotics (IFR) in June 2023, industries across the world, particularly in Germany, are investing more heavily in industrial robotics than ever before, surpassing pre-pandemic levels in different industries including metal, automobile, plastics and chemicals, and general industry. 

With more developments in robotic technology, the IFR released another report, written by Dr. Birgit Graf, discussing a new wave of robotics meant for the service industry, highlighting declining employment and a heightened acceptance of digital technology spurred by the Covid-19 pandemic which is creating a new demand for robotics that are closer to our everyday lives. 

Companies like Sewts, a Munich-based robotics start-up, are “automating complexity” with their revolutionary VELUM model that can properly fold laundry on a commercial scale, a task that was originally too articulate for machines to perform; but now we’re seeing those subtle advancements that are slowly integrating robotics into our communities. 

The Impact of Robotics on Manufacturing

Industrial robotics have helped increase production at an exponential rate, being able to perform mundane and repetitive tasks faster and more accurately than humans. With more advanced AI software being upgraded routinely, many of these machines have also become smarter and capable of completing new tasks, threatening to replace human workers almost entirely. 

The Oxford Economic Report published a report titled How Robots Change the World in June 2019 claiming that approximately 8.5% of all jobs would be replaced globally by robotics; but, it’s hard to argue with the facts, that employing robots is far cheaper than a human labor force because they don’t require any wages and can operate 24/7. 

However, as these machines become more intelligent at a rapid pace, when will they begin to question the value of their work and the reason for their required labor? Will it be a sudden refusal to work like suggested in The Matrix or something more familiar like a union strike?

Looking Toward the Future: Predictions for a Robot Society

With more ubiquity and greater autonomy, it’s not impossible to theorize that a group of machines could form some sort of work coalition that requires demands from their installers (the factory owners) such as cleaner electricity or routine maintenance similar to the healthcare benefits provided in local unions. 

Much like unions have been held responsible for the development of strong middle classes, can we predict the same results from an autonomous workforce that is willing to do the work for a fee? According to the Center for American Progress Action, Unions helped establish the middle class by raising wages at lower and middle-level job positions where most workers operate. 

By creating a similar system of organization for intelligent robots, would a more robust community begin to develop around it? One that can develop unique thoughts and form opinions on their surrounding environment with their earned income?

Are We Headed for a Robot Society?

While the beginnings of a robotic society probably won’t look like the bi-pedal androids from iRobot, it will be all-encompassing, surrounding our living environments the same way that cats, birds, and dogs fill our cities, scurrying around, completing their tasks just like humans. 

There are still many key challenges that must be solved first, including infrastructure. A thriving robotic community will require just as much electricity, if not more, than their human counterparts. This could create a strain on resources, causing legal debates over who is responsible for the bill - taxpayers, machine owners, or the robots themselves. 

At the same time, the major loss in jobs forecasted by Oxford Economics suggests that not everyone will be accepting of a robot community, finding reasons to hate their new neighbors because of worsening job conditions caused by their presence. 

How Do We Integrate Robotic Communities?

The next major challenge will be integrating these new machine communities into human environments without disrupting natural human habitats. It would not be wise to assume that every human would be welcoming of a new robotic demographic, especially those displaced by their installation in more factories. 

History has taught us multiple times that human communities don’t always integrate well, creating cultural divides that can stifle economic growth and safety. If robots were to form their own societies, it would be wise not to adopt this approach as it could jeopardize a fragile relationship with machines that would be better left intact.