Embracing the robots
A new report has warned that the UK is in danger of becoming a “laggard” in the adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics. Published last week by the RSA (Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce) and drawing on a survey conducted by YouGov, The Age of Automation found that sales of robots to the UK actually decreased over 2014-15, with British firms falling behind the US, France, Germany, Spain and Italy.
The YouGov survey revealed that UK business leaders are wary of adopting AI and robotics, with just 14% of firms currently investing in this technology or soon planning to. According to the RSA: “Twenty-nine percent of businesses believe AI & robotics to be too expensive or not yet proven and twenty percent want to invest but believe it will take several years to ‘seriously adopt’ the new technology.”
The report suggested that the acceptance of AI and robotics has been hampered because “current assessments of automation fail to appreciate that technology can complement workers as well as compete with them”.
Furthermore, the report argued that occupations are more likely to evolve than be eliminated as a result of automation, with growth in both tech-jobs and human-centric jobs that remain out of reach of machines.
The RSA said that AI and robotics could boost productivity growth in low paying service sectors, such as logistics and retail, “thereby opening the door to higher wages”. The report said an example of this trend was the case of US-based Starksy Robotics, which “aims to take HGV drivers out of trucks and into offices, where they can man and control as many as 30 vehicles using an array of sensors and robotics technology”.
Commenting on the report, RSA Associate Director, Benedict Dellot said: “Whether it’s robots that relieve manufacturing workers of dangerous tasks, algorithms that enable doctors to recommend more appropriate treatments, or machines that can help social care workers lift and carry patients, advances in AI and robotics promise to pave the way towards a better world of work. It is now up to policymakers, employers and educators to help society grasp the opportunities.”
