Robotik Robotics
Alfons Riek
When robotics was in its infancy, the common assumption was that robots would be used primarily in factories, as stationary assistants without direct interaction with humans – such as for welding equipment. Looking at current statistics, it is easy to see that robotics is experiencing an explosion in popularity in areas that were never even dreamed of 20 years ago. Today, robots are ubiquitous as direct assistants to humans – in the service sector and even at home. These so-called “cobots” act completely freely and interact directly with humans, without any kind of ‘protective cage’. Ubiquitous assistance, from robotic vacuum cleaners to delivery drones to vending machines for hygiene products, is a reality today.
During the Industrial Revolution – on Henry Ford’s Model T assembly lines, for example – there were legions of workers repeating the same actions day in and day out. “We don’t need brains, we need hands,” was the motto at the time. Those times are gone. Today, people are looking for challenges, meaning and dignity in their daily work. And in most industries, there is no longer any talk of hordes of workers. Meaning: Labor shortages coupled with increasing demand for those remaining can be considered one of the triggers for the cobotic revolution. Because people are increasingly trusting their ‘silent servants’, and because they are by and large grateful for machines taking over work that humans find mindless, repetitive or dangerous, this development will continue. It will permeate all aspects of our everyday lives.
While people in Europe are still largely against robotic assistance being overused – robot waiters in restaurants haven’t yet caught on – there are no problems with cobots clearing away after a meal. The reason for this is that you can’t see these machines – they virtually disappear behind the horizon of perception. Just like the machine that sells eggs outside the supermarket at three in the morning. Or the ventilation system that continuously regulates temperature and humidity in a smart home. Although they are ubiquitous, they don’t stand out – and the effect of their work alone feels positive for people. This results in greater acceptance.
On the other hand, there are some areas in which the use of robots or cobots is met with categorical rejection. It seems that wherever there is a need to relate to a human, robots will have little chance in the future. Such as in the medical field or in services that are based on trust, encouragement or physical contact. Simply put: Wherever a human being is expecting another human being, a robot will feel strange at best. In the worst case, it will be absolutely unacceptable. People become aware of these feelings when they are no longer satisfied. Until the maître d’ is actually based on software, people usually do not give it another thought.
There is a lot of discussion about artificial intelligence. So far, it has not been possible to write a program for a robot that is actually intelligent in the human sense, i.e. that acts logically, morally and ethically even in abstract situations and thus evolves. Outside of their programming and sensing, robots are still relatively stupid. The element of surprise still does not feature in robotics at all, which is why our mechanical friends are still far from resembling actual humans. Until it is scientifically proven that a program can achieve consciousness, it would be misleading to call a machine human. Robots and cobots – no matter how widely they are able to assist us – are just tools. Imagined scary scenarios such as world domination by an Internet-based artificial intelligence or, as mentioned, the takeover of human jobs en masse by robots thus remain far-fetched. Especially when you consider that the development of robotics is only really taking off because there are too few workers.
Another barrier to humanity for robotics and artificial intelligence is the “inner spark” and creative work that springs from humans. Just imagine a beautiful afternoon spent at a café, sitting outside and watching the world go by. You lose yourself in this moment, let your mind wander, are no longer aware of your own thoughts. Then suddenly something happens – and something creative comes to light. Something new. Something great. This process cannot be reproduced. It cannot be programmed – or prescribed. And yet it is responsible for a great many of mankind’s most important achievements. It is a “spark” that makes the difference between human and robot. And this difference is huge. On the other hand, through its automation of certain processes, robotics creates precisely those free spaces and periods of time that are needed for humans to develop a creative spark. Simply put: Even if they lack that certain something – our ubiquitous assistants could make a significant contribution to giving people more room for creativity in the future. But this will not happen automatically. People must actively seize this opportunity. The resulting changes will require humanity to adapt appropriately in the long term.
In order to use the opportunities opened up by the progressive development in the field of robotics and AI for the benefit of humans, one thing is indispensable: The clear cognition process in which humans concretely define those areas where they want to use robots in the future – and where they do not. At every stage of this development, the process must remain human, be conceived, carried out and executed by humans for humans, and never left entirely to programs or algorithms. The principle will still apply in a future full of artificial intelligence, ubiquitous assistance and automation: We do not have to do everything that we could do! After all, technology is not supposed to be at the service of technology itself.
This thinking and decision-making process will be a fluid one, because new things are invented – times change – structures that are considered to be set in stone based on our subjective ‘time bubble’ are, after all, actually fluid in reality. Superlatives hardly play a role on this grand scale. “Faster, more efficient, smarter,” noticeably loses meaning when exposed to the passage of time. So in addition to constantly defining, assessing and deciding, one very specific aspect of the technology of the future could play a major role: reliability. Finally, safety is a key element in the scenario that involves humans with the time and freedom to reflect. In a world where humans no longer need to worry about securing their existence.
Alfons Riek has an engineering degree and more than 20 years’ experience in various positions in economics, executive assistance, risk management and global corporate development. He is responsible for technology and innovation at Festo’s Group holding company and is always open to new ideas. Alfons Riek is passionate and curious about all developments that make technology useful for people. In all of his roles, he has always strived to understand technology from the ground up, in order to subsequently make life better with specific new products. He describes his motivation as wanting to implement technical innovations in a way that also makes them accessible to people in their everyday lives.