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Roula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter.
The exponential power of scientific innovation has been on show in recent days. In a series of demonstration videos, Google DeepMind unveiled that it had trained a robot to fold an origami fox, organise a desk and slam dunk a small basketball through a hoop. Last month, Microsoft showed off a robot conducting basic kitchen tasks. Both companies are capitalising on advances in artificial intelligence.
By using the reasoning capabilities of large language models, they have developed robotics software that raise the ability of automatons to adapt to complex environments. Harnessing the technology will take time, but for economies facing shrinking workforces, and rising social and industrial demands, the opportunities are tantalising.
Tech groups, start-ups and investors have been clamouring to build an AI “brain” that can independently operate robots for applications in healthcare, manufacturing and even household chores. After decades of tedious progress that involved manually coding each movement a robot made, AI training is turning robots into fast learners. They can now absorb reams of text, images and videos from the internet to develop their understanding of the physical world. The latest software developments suggest the technology is developing to the point where robots can adjust to new situations, respond to verbal instructions and be dexterous enough to manipulate objects.
There is still much to do before robots are common in workplaces and at home. Improving autonomous interaction with humans remains a challenge, as robots struggle to grasp the subtleties of human communication. For instance, at Tesla’s Cybercab event last year, Elon Musk’s humanoid Optimus robots were seen serving drinks but were controlled remotely by humans. Adapting to new and unpredictable environments will require the development of larger databases relating to movement. That’s before thinking about mass manufacturing, how to integrate smart robots into existing hardware and the legal liability frameworks for dealing with any accidents.
The rise of robots usually evokes fear, either with visions — embellished by the movies — of machines eventually dominating humans, or bringing widespread joblessness. But the latest developments, which allow robots to move beyond repetitive tasks on the factory floor, highlight the promise of robotics for helping humanity and supporting economic growth.
The world is ageing rapidly. The number of people aged 60 and older is projected to double by 2050 to 2.1bn. In the developed world, labour markets are tight as it is. In the coming decades, a smaller working-age population will need to prop up the healthcare and pension needs of more elderly people. Attracting high skilled migrants can only go so far.
It’s not inconceivable that robots could play a role in caring for the aged and needy. In industry, they can operate in hazardous environments, support quality assurance and deal with logistics, freeing humans for more complex tasks. In retail, they could provide personalised assistance. They can assist in rescue operations in disaster zones and be used in space exploration. For time-poor professionals, there’s hope too that forthcoming demonstration videos will show robots unblocking sinks, changing nappies and doing the recycling.
The upsides ought not to obscure the risks. Machines need fail-safes, humans need access to life-long learning and reskilling to avoid obsolescence. Rules and best practices are also needed, not least to ensure the human spirit is not crushed along the way. With automatons still in training there is, however, plenty of time for society to get prepared. In the interim, policymakers ought to ensure the research and investment environment continues to support the robotics industry. Robots are getting smarter. The world should embrace it.
