Humanoid Robots – The Future of Work
Summary
Humanoid robots, designed to resemble and interact like humans will transform industry..
First movers using them will gain the advantage. Robots now cost between $US20,000 and $US100,000, depending on sophistication. At present, the cost of operating them is between $US10,000 and $US50,000 per annum. Both these costs will drop dramatically with widespread use.
Unlike humans, they do tasks accurately, can work almost 24/7, don’t take holidays, invoke penalty rates or go on strike.
Problems for the people they replace are dealt with below.
The video below shows the present capabilities of humanoid robots clearly.
The Future of Work
Humanoid robots will transform work and society globally. Countries, particularly China, Japan, South Korea, Germany and USA are investing heavily in their development. Costs are decreasing and capabilities are expanding. They promise to augment human efforts across many sectors.
While they present challenges related to employment, they also open opportunities for innovation, new industries and improved quality of life, where humans and robots work side by side for a better future.
For China, humanoid robots will likely solve their one child problem of not enough workers and too many retired elderly people.
Aged Care and Domestic Help
Their human like design and advanced AI enable them to interact seamlessly with people, making them ideal for roles that require social engagement and assistance. Although we think talking to a robot would be completely impersonal, the opposite appears to be true. Elderly people living on their own say humanoid robots are intelligent, sociable companions. Many say they love them!
What for Unskilled Workers
It seems skilled workers will use humanoid robots to increase output and AI automation on the factory floor will replace the unskilled. There are far more industrial robots than humanoid robots, so this problem has been going on for a while, yet unemployment has not increased.
The World Economic Forum (2024) predicts that by 2030, automation could displace around 85 million jobs but will create 97 million new roles, mainly in digital and green economies.
Impact of Humanoid Robots and Automation
Retail and Hospitality
- Current State: Many low skilled jobs in retail (cashiers, stock clerks) and hospitality (servers, cleaners) are increasingly automated through self checkouts, robotic delivery, and cleaning robots.
- Future Outlook: Humanoid robots could handle customer inquiries, perform basic security, or even serve as receptionists. While some jobs may diminish, others involving personalised service, emotional engagement and complex problem solving will likely remain human based.
Manufacturing
- Current State: Automated assembly lines have reduced manual labour needs, primarily replacing repetitive tasks.
- Future Outlook: Humanoid robots could work alongside humans, especially in tasks requiring adaptability or safety. Displacement of low skilled workers may increase, but demand for skilled technicians and robot maintenance staff will grow.
Health
- Current State: Certain administrative and logistical jobs are automated and robots assist in patient care.
- Future Outlook: Humanoids could take over routine patient monitoring or deliver supplies, allowing healthcare workers to focus on complex care, emotional support and decision making that require human empathy.
Agriculture
- Impacts: Automation can handle planting, harvesting and pest control, reducing the need for manual labour. Human roles may shift toward overseeing automated systems or focusing on high value tasks.
Policy Proposals and Strategies
Retraining and Upskilling
Countries like Singapore and Germany are investing heavily in workforce retraining programs to help displaced workers transition into tech driven roles, emphasising programming, robotics maintenance and digital literacy.
Universal Basic Income (UBI)
Discussions around UBI aim to provide a safety net for workers potentially unemployed by automation. Trials in Finland, Canada and elsewhere are exploring its viability.
Education Reform
Emphasising STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Maths) education, lifelong learning and soft skills such as creativity and emotional intelligence to prepare workers for future job markets.
Regulatory Frameworks
Governments are developing standards and policies around robot deployment, emphasising ethical use, safety and labour protection.
Summary
Short term: Displacement of some low skilled roles, but the creation of new opportunities requiring technical skills.
Medium term: Reskilling becomes essential and policy interventions can mitigate negative impacts.
Long term: Possibility of significant workforce transformation success depends on societal, educational, and political responses
4 Responses
Do you think humanoid husbands will replace actual husbands in the future?
Just asking for a friend…..
Pam
If your friend has a dud husband, could be a good idea. Humanoid husbands don’t answer back.
The uses and opportunities seem endless. Maybe due to price, it will be sometime before lots of domestic tasks can be replaced with robots as they are probably unaffordable for everyday consumers. Having said that these robots did not seem expensive given the tasks they are executing. I need to come back again to this world in 50 years – found the video very very interesting and good to know a variety of countries are working on developing so many different types of robotic uses.
Jackie
Great to hear from you. I agree we need to come back sometime in the future but probably not 50 years. Changes are happening very quickly. It is predicted that in about 2 years we will have ASI (Artificial Super Intelligence) which will be way smarter than us. Then not long after that, AGI (Artificial General Intelligence). This will again be smarter than us but will think like humans and be able to turn its hand or mind to anything. Utopian?
Let’s hope it all turns out that way.