Robotics is the next frontier in technology. Advancements in Artificial Intelligence in recent times have accelerated the integration and deployment of AI. Numerous companies around the world have integrated AI into their robots that have been developed for various use cases. Billionaire philanthropist Bill Gates, who is a vocal proponent of AI, took to his blog to share his thoughts about the advancements in robotics technology. In his post, Gates expressed his excitement about the rapid progress in robotics technology and the potential for robots to transform how we live and work. While the billionaire outlined some limitations, he also stated that the innovations in AI are enabling them to demonstrate human-like capabilities in domains such as learning, understanding, and thinking. The 68-year-old believes that robots can undertake dangerous and unfulfilling jobs, making people safer, healthier, and more productive. He went on to highlight some of the robotics companies that are at the forefront of developing humanoid robots that can seamlessly interact with humans. He also sees the possibility for robots to be active in healthcare, agriculture, manufacturing, and even in homes in the future. On robots taking jobs Gates acknowledged the fear of robots taking over jobs; however, he feels that governments and the private sector will need to help people brave this transition. “I understand concerns about robots taking people’s jobs, an unfortunate consequence of almost every new innovation—including the internet, which (for example) turned everyone into a travel agent and eliminated much of the vacation-planning industry. If robots have a similar impact on employment, governments and the private sector will have to help people navigate the transition,” he wrote. The billionaire said that considering the shortages in the economy and the dangerous and unrewarding nature of certain jobs, robots are unlikely to take jobs that we love, and more likely, they will take over jobs that people are unwilling to do. “I believe it’s less likely that robots will replace us in jobs we love and more likely that they’ll do work people don’t want to be doing. In the process, they can make us safer, healthier, more productive, and even less lonely.” The limitless possibilities When it comes to robotics, Gates feels if the technology is used the right way, there would be limitless use cases. According to Gates, robots can help during natural disasters where first responders would have to risk their lives or during a public health crisis like the COVID-19 pandemic when human interactions may spread the disease further. Robotics can help in manually pulling out weeds from farms instead of toxic chemical herbicides. They can also help move massive loads on factory floors. They can also be beneficial in prosthetics. Gates went on to list some of the robotics companies that are doing something remarkable. In Agriculture, Tevel’s fruit-picking robots can work round the clock to address labour shortages and prevent crop wastage. Similarly, Apptronik is developing general-purpose humanoid robots that can be programmed to do various tasks. UCLA’s RoMeLa lab has developed ARTEMIS, one of the world’s fastest-running robots. Startups like Field AI are focused on developing AI software to improve robots' perception, navigation, and communication abilities. Gates, who frequently shares his thoughts on AI, had, in a recent interview with the German newspaper Handelsblatt, said that generative AI had plateaued and that GPT-5 will not be much different. In the same interview, the Microsoft co-founder also predicted that in the next two to five years, the accuracy of AI software will witness a considerable increase along with a cost reduction. This will lead to the creation of new and reliable applications.
