Until recently, human-shaped robots (humanoids) were the stuff of science fiction movies, and we thought they would never go further. But what once seemed impossible is about to become a reality: in the next four years, the United States will launch 100,000 humanoid robots that will work in factories, warehouses and other sectors.
These robots, designed by the company Figure AI, will be able to perform physical tasks, understand spoken commands and even interact with humans naturally. They will not just be programmed machines, but will have artificial intelligence and will be able to learn and adapt to their environment. Are we ready to share our workday with robots?
Figure AI: leader in the robotic revolution
This company, Figure AI, led by Brett Adcock, has already closed agreements with large companies to deploy its robots in the industry. It is incredible because, although it has not revealed the name of its new business partner, it is known that its technology has already been tested in BMW factories, where it has been successfully integrated into car production. So, what seemed like a movie to us has already been close to becoming a reality long before this news.
Why is this agreement important?
Basically because it is the first step for these robots to begin to be mass produced, their production costs to be reduced and to be accelerated so that they are implemented in the real world as soon as possible.
The path of Artificial Intelligence
Figure AI has managed to make its robots much smarter. When they say they have implemented an end-to-end neural network, what they mean is that robots can now learn and make decisions on their own more fluidly and without relying so much on predefined commands. With this new advancement, they can process information, learn and improve their responses on their own, almost as if they were thinking.
The company’s founder, Brett Adcock, called it “pure magic” because technology has advanced so quickly that robots are improving their ability to understand and respond in record time.
Figure 02: the Robot of the future in the present
The most advanced model is the Figure 02, designed to understand instructions, move with agility and work. Among its most impressive features are:
- Cameras and sensors to detect obstacles.
- Advanced hands that allow them to hold objects with precision.
- Speakers and microphones to interact with people
- An artificial intelligence brain, capable of learning from its environment and improving over time.
It is a bit “dizzying” what one of these robots will be able to do.
Will these robots change the world of work?
There are 100,000 robots proposed to reach various industries, and how they impact the technology sector will depend on how their integration is handled in it.
It is expected that, in principle, these robots can take on dangerous or physically demanding tasks, but this raises the question of whether these robots could end up displacing human workers, and then? What will happen to the workers? Although automation will not mean the end of human work, it will force many people to adapt and specialize in new roles. We are living, without realizing it, a third industrial revolution.