February 8, 2024 AI in Robotics: Is Industry Ready or Underprepared?

Technological advancements at the intersection of AI and robotics will create opportunities and also adoption challenges for manufacturers.

By Luke Smoothy, Founder and Director, Get It Made

Applying AI in robotics is progressing at lightning speed, as the concept of AI-powered humanoid robot laborers becoming part of the workforce edges nearer. However, manufacturers must fully grasp its major drivers and challenges to harness its capabilities while avoiding its pitfalls.

Revolutionary benefits

Game-changing, ground-breaking and revolutionary are all words which are often used to describe the seismic global shift to digitalisation and automation we are now starting to see reshape manufacturing and indeed, the future of industry. Recent progress, including research done by teams at Meta, DeepMind and Stanford, illustrates the speed at which technological progression is travelling. Start-up Figure AI, which develops humanoid robots, is looking to secure up to $500m in a funding round led by Microsoft and OpenAI. This follows its new commercial agreement with BMW to deploy general purpose robots in automotive production.

Set to boost operational efficiency, improve productivity and enhance safety while lending speed and accuracy to processes, automation has the potential to disrupt the manufacturing sector the most, where its use will feature most prominently.

Robotics also have the potential to significantly drive down the cost of goods, especially those produced in factories, as it is more cost-effective than human labor. This increased efficiency can result in lower overall production costs, while the quality of products could also greatly improve.

While AI development encountered hurdles due to its limited scalability until a few years ago, we’re now seeing a new realm of innovation in terms of capability due to the emergence of large language models. With the decreasing cost of hardware and the increasing accessibility of AI, it is becoming more economically feasible for real world implementation of AI systems.

AI literacy as standard

Yet we’re now finding ourselves at a critical juncture in the journey of robotics where the combination of software and hardware development is creating a seismic moment for AI. While the technology is there for us to leverage and to fully embrace the opportunity afforded by this new wave of globalization, its vital that we don’t fully immerse ourselves in complete automation at the cost of human workers. Job displacement is a particular concern, given the ongoing labor shortages. To combat this, the priority must be for workers to receive the necessary training to transition into a position or role where they collaborate with robotic systems. This will ensure that AI and robotics technologies are used responsibly, as well as prepare the workforce as AI and robotics become increasingly integrated.

The dangers of dependency

Yet while AI and robotics come with many advantages, reliance on their potential as a human replacement would be a mistake. While automation can lead to reduced error rates, especially for complex or large-scale manufacturing processes, and its 24/7 utilization enables longer, optimized production lines, there are still ethical factors to consider.

Take for instance quality control in food processing, where human judgement is vital to determine whether the quality of a product is sufficient. Human intelligence and intuition, along with our ability to make decisions and process information unleashes value – value that cannot be replaced or replicated by robotics.

The challenges faced

As well as facing ethical challenges such as fairness, transparency, and accountability, technical limitations and regulatory complexities, AI also has security concerns. Digitalized systems leave themselves vulnerable to being hacked. Beyond plant shutdowns and disrupted operations, there are more serious, wider repercussions which can threaten the entire supply chain, or push up global prices. It will become increasingly crucial to integrate cybersecurity measures into the design and development of robotics.

Another major challenge is the pressing need for stable and fast internet connectivity on a global scale. Robots often rely on cloud computing to handle complex tasks, and a lack of reliable internet can hinder their performance. The worldwide implementation of high-speed internet is the key to unlocking the full potential of AI-driven robotics.

Regulatory hurdles also impede progress in the field. Government agencies such as the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) hold significant authority in overseeing the utilization of autonomous technologies, including AI-powered drones and other robots.

Although regulations are vital for ensuring safety and ethical practices, they can also hinder innovation. Finding the perfect equilibrium between fostering innovation and upholding safety is a complex task that policymakers must tackle.

The right balance

The responsible use of technology can be better safeguarded when more people understand it, so that when technology is democratized and power is distributed, it becomes safer. This approach will encourage entrepreneurship and accelerate the adoption of AI and robotics across industries, to enhance operations alongside a workforce equipped to optimize its use.

About the Author
Luke Smoothy is the Founder and Director of Get It Made, a leading manufacturing business providing an unrivaled suite of manufacturing services from CNC machining to injection molding and 3D printing. Luke has worked on thousands of complex projects for customers across various industries, including aerospace and medical, working with Hitachi, Airbus, and the Imperial College of London. get-it-made.co.uk

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