The effect of Robotic AI in employment and health

Introduction

As AI expands globally, so does the possible opportunities of its implementation. Over the
past few decades, AI has been developing phenomenally at profound levels unseen and only
dreamt of previously. Now voice generated orders are carried out by the likes of Siri,
Alexa, and Google-related means of applications in Narrow AI, and no longer remain far-
fetched. With growing algorithms, taking into account AI’s rapid expansion, it’s chances of
holding a broader place in our lives soon are not merely highly likely, but inevitable.

AI continues to remain a broad field; it ranges from smart watches collecting data,
informing us about our health, to social robots such as Sophia, that happen to seamlessly
mimic and display several human characteristics and traits. AI, having been made with
advanced data collecting, machine-learning algorithms and specified abilities continues to
change life as we know it, making it gain a presence in work fields. Robotics, coupled with
Artificial Intelligence, happen to have made a force in the work field. With this idea in
mind, bridging together two similar fields of science, the future opens for Smart Robotics.

The idea of Smart Robots is not a new one, with ideas being traced back to decades of
Sci-Fi entertainment and to experts such as Bill Gates, predicting today’s Robotics
expansion. If we look to today, we can clearly see some changes in the work force being
implemented due to said upcoming technological advancements and improvement
implemented in the field of AI. Many repetitive work-related jobs happen to be using
robots in efforts to reduce human’s errors and to maximize efficiency. An example of this
is Amazon’s housing of over 200,000 mobile robots in order to enable quicker networks
between wide warehouses, and efficiency in delivering and arranging thousands of orders.
All of Amazon’s robots, working alongside humans have shown us a parallel from between
what science fiction and reality is, yet have made a cheaper and easier means of doing
work, in an error-minimalized manner.

But to understand AI, and its potential impact on Robotics towards the future, it is
necessary to understand the topic of Robotics as a whole, along with its correlation with
AI and its relevance.

1. Defining Robotics in AI

Concepts concerning Robotic have been widespread throughout the media and has overall,
remained a novelty amongst people for decades, making this topic referenced towards,
dreamt towards and manifested as they appear in major works of pop culture, books,
scientific journals making the job of defining Robotics, harder than a straight forward
job. Henceforth, the broad range of Robotics’ scope added with numerous of its
applications implied over courses of years, has made it remain hard to point out to a
certain focus and understand what exactly a Robot is.

A Robot is essentially a machine—and one that is particularly programmable by a computer.

It is a machine that can carry out a series of complex computations and usually comes with
an external controllable device embedded within it, though some Robots are still able to
remain autonomous. The lack of self-autonomy and programmable characteristics observed
in Robotics, is what makes a clear distinction from the field of AI, which is one that deals
in matters of computer science concerning the development of programs that inherently
mimic human capacities and skill at an attempt of mimicking human intelligence—this
further involves extensive studies in fields of mathematics, philosophy, sociology,
psychology, neuron science and biology. However, Robots and AI are usually so embodied
into one another that a Robot can ultimately be defined as a machine that senses, thinks,
and acts. This definition, essentially, reflects the collaborated purpose and definition of a
Smart Robot that works through the function of AI.

While the meaning of ‘robot’, is usually registered with the ability to think and is
understood as such, only with the use of AI, are we able to come into full fruition of what
is referenced to in that definition. Combining the efforts in the fields of Robotics, and AI,
seemingly brings up new unseen prospects, even those unconcerned with work forces. The
combination of those two fields of computer science, in most cases, generate a production
of a physical machine built in with physical actuation means for movement, and sensors for
computation of basic cognitive functions done with most robots. Setting it apart, however,
it would additionally have a system built with mathematical algorithms encased into it,
enabling it to have some resemblance of intelligence. This essentially, allows it to garner a
sense the machinery a sense of autonomy that is usually associated in the study of AI.

2. Robots Application in Present Day

Robots as observed today are seen to mostly comprise work positions humans consider
tasking to do because of their dull consistency or other jobs that are simply dangerous for
their well-being due to hazardous working conditions. Much simpler factory Robots can
carry out these functions humans choose to opt out of, being able to work in such
situations and carry out required functions repeatedly without raising issues, causing
mistakes or having complaints while newer versions of drones have been seen to be used in
delivering and stacking systems to name the least. Additionally, due to the dropping costs
of machinery, hiring a machine to carry out labor has become much a cheaper replacement
for humans in work.

Domestic Robots are also not uncommon, often staying in living spaces of humans and doing
basic cleaning or chores. Where Humans suffer trouble carrying out certain tasks, aptly
built robots, are more than capable of finishing the job effectively, making it a much wiser
and obvious choice to get robots at the frontlines of these jobs.

Additionally, Robots, being free from any sort of discrimination or human perceived
justices come well equipped in dealing with matters from a neutral and unbiased state.
Whether assessing people for job interviews, or cleaning up after us, Robots seem to be up
to doing the best possible job.

2.1. Robots in the Work Force

While the vast majority of Robots do work in jobs that are dangerous or tedious for
humans, it does not limit their capacity to that. Robots are a growing force in the present
day, with the number of 2.25 million robots in 2010, tripling in number today and happening
to be thought to reach 20 million by 2030. These proves to show the increased demand of
robotics in the market. With this increased demand for cheap yet efficient labor in a
market increasingly demanding manufactured goods, we see the way robots become multi-
faceted to meet our very needs, going into vast job groups they have not previously
before. As we make advancements in technology each year, the wider and broader the
advancements in fields such as AI and Robotics gets. A clear affirmation of this would be
the direct correlation of Robotics and their taken jobs, helping us see their roles in day to
day jobs such as these:

Industrial force: in the industrial work force, Robots seem to have a growing appearance
with just Robots in food packaging industries expected to grow by 10% by 2022. This is
unsurprising considering Robots’ ability at making quality goods in cost and time efficient
means. Overall, industrial robots range from articulated robots that resemble a human
arm, cartesian robots with an attached rotatable wrist, SCARA robots, DELTA robots that
are interconnected, Polar Robots that have twistable joints and Cylindrical Robots that
have one rotatory joint and another connecting joint. Automotive Industries also choose to
use these robots for cutting and assembling parts.

Performing/Entertainment Robots: Though not, as commonly heard of as Industrial Robots,

Performing Robots are being used to bring entertainment into the lives of people. These
Robots are usually aided with AI to have basic social functions, and frequently designed as
a humanoid, interact with people through singing and dancing. These Robots usually use
their AI functions in mimicking one’s speaking patterns and the speaker’s movements,
which in turn, aids them in communicating in long distances. Performing Robots are under
the classification.

Defense Robots: these Robots are Robots that range from Military Robots to security
surveillance drones. In 2017, these robots were reportedly 11% of all service robots.
Coming encased in a full body exoskeleton and having functionalities that enable them to
carry heavy equipment, operate in dangerous situations that allow human soldiers to be
safer, and working in saving wounded soldiers at danger zones, these Robots have seen a
4% growth since 2018.

Besides all these previously known roles of Robots, there are many other implementations
of Robots at work in our day to day lives, with innovatively exceptional Robots applications
coming in management and interviewing sectors that seem to remain bias and error-free.
However, with the current medical crises COVID-19 has invoked all-across the globe,
people worldwide have come to notice the importance of health care in our lives, much
more than before. With Doctors, Nurses and other health care professionals working to
save the lives of others, while putting their own on the line, one would come to question if
anything can be done. These brings me to the work field of Robotics that may help us in
pandemics such as COVID 19 or assist the work of health care professionals in life-
threatening situations as Robots have done with Military jobs and Industrial jobs.

2.2. Robotics in Health Care

The health care industry is a wide one, it involves treating patients to dealing with
surgeries and disinfecting rooms as well as equipment. Currently, amidst a COVID 19
pandemic, everyone at the work force remains vulnerable, at risk for catching the
contagious disease, which currently has no treatment. During these trying times, as
humanity has done for centuries before, looks towards science in hopes of science, to
bring answers. And in these times, we get to witness the possible benefits of having
Robotic personnel in health care industries.

Looking from the time before the COVID-19 pandemic, application of Robotics seen in
health care was not uncommon. Robotics have a range of capabilities in helping the health
care force, whether it be assisting the vulnerable, cleaning up after others, keeping the
deceased company or making surgical advancements.

To begin with, surgery is one of those anticipated fields of medicinal sciences thought to
be taken over by Robots with surgical robotic sales expected to boom to $6.4 billion this
year. These robots are in demand to help assist surgeries and help overcome limitations is
surgical procedures. Additionally, Robots are expected to help with health care, as they
carefully do basic tasks like draw-blood, dis-infect, assist patients, add to telemedical, act
as exoskeleton support, become nano robots that swim in your blood streams or social
robots that keep patients company—the future of robots in Health care seems a wide one.

Currently, the collaborated effort of AI and Robotics has proven beneficial in a large pool
of fields in human work places, but currently at the epitome of a Health Pandemic, Robots
could potentially make a difference in the health care industry, by making even Health
Care Remote. Today, as most jobs remain remote with people working from home, Health
Care Professionals cannot have the same luxury, only being encouraged to work more even
if with more care. While Robotics in Medical Care has expanding substantially over the
past few years, like most other work fields, with Robots helping surgeons, nurses and
janitors in hospital building, they do not have a level of intelligence that enables them to
work autonomously and without supervision. However, through the combined forces of
Robotics of AI fields, we must ask ourselves how we can avoid a similar situation in a
future time.

2.2.3 Smart Robotics in Health Care and Future Implications

Amidst global enforcements of remote-learning and employment, we have gotten a chance

to see how work can seamlessly be converted to virtual means. People can know work from
home, learn from home. However, if one’s profession is a Health professional, they are not
able to work from home. It raises the question—why not? For starters, especially during
COVID 19 or any pandemic, health professionals are the hope of the people and the
infected—they assess symptoms, they give out medication and prescriptions and advise
patients. However, what if they did not have to do this? What if during times of health
trials such as these, will we enable to be treated from home? Will we take an example
from the other work forces to apply Robotics in a means that makes health treatment
more cost-effective and still efficient?

AI, having an ability to combine machine learning into its own algorithms, has already shown
to be effective at predicting human behavior or physical makeup through the likes of
personalized google search algorithms to the smart watch data collection. This why
treatment and diagnosis of sickness from home can be possible. But what is the machine
that can make it all possible? A small device with developed hardware that has wheels or
drone-like wings and allows it to remain moveable. Additionally, it would have flexible and
rotatable arms like those of Industrial and Military Robots. This machine would be about
the size of the drone and would approximately cost between a drone and average
smartwatch upon being launched. This machine would additionally, be equipped with well-
developed AI and IOT that enables it to have an innate location device system, and a data
collecting system coupled with machine-learning algorithms.

The function of this smart robot would be to be your very own health physician and
consultant, being the clinical experience to the comforts of your home. It would be a
connectable device, connectable to your smart phone and watch, and by being informed
with all symptoms on the web, it would make a great assessment of symptoms described by
personal users, to generate the most accurate diagnoses and prescriptions. To further
enforce accuracy, it would send your results that it assessed from data collected by your
connected devices and data imputed directly into it, to real doctors, who would respond
with your assessment, and prescriptions. When its users are terminally ill, it has been built
to be able to call authorities after being verbally told so, or after detecting loud noises.
First, it would confirm if one were hurt, by asking for confirmation. These confirmations
may not necessarily be verbal ques, but if the robot happens to detect critical states of
your body from data imputed via your smart devices, it will call the authorities. Besides
critical situations, your health-professional smart robot would help in assisting you
overcome illness. Using its in built sensory devices and staying connected to your smart
devices that show your locational systems, would be able to order your diagnosed
medications, and when received would hand them to you. In hopes of bringing you all
aspects of health care to you, it would be able to care for you from home by taking your
medication to simple mundane needs like passing you items while you’re sick.

Conclusion

As AI advances in a forward’s direction, even in the medical industry, we are able to reap
the fruits of upcoming innovation. With the expansion of this AI robot in everyone’s home,
one would be able to keep their health in check from home. As broad as AI remains, each
year our possibilities towards improving the employment sector only opens further. In
health, this Robot could add new dimensions, improvements, and aid in maintaining a
healthy global population. As we battle the pandemic of COVID 19 even today, resources
such as this would enable us to help our everyday Health Professionals stay out of danger
zones as Robots have done for humans for the past few years.

Links

https://sciencing.com/tools-used-astronauts-6133306.html

https://www.robotics.org/service-robots/defense-robots

https://medicalfuturist.com/robotics-healthcare/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robot-assisted_surgery

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robot

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0004370211000178

https://science.jrank.org/pages/5897/Robotics-Robots-at-work-present-day.html

https://www.getsmarter.com/blog/career-advice/career-path-artificial-intelligence-and-robotics/

https://www.analyticsinsight.net/smart-robots-potential-benefits-combining-ai-robotics/