Discuss how the development of autonomous robots will change our lives positively and negatively

Answer

Introduction

According to Saha (2014) autonomous robots refer to human like technologies with the ability to perceive their immediate environment, make autonomous decision and execute them accordingly. This is attained when the robot perceives and monitors its environment, with the help of embedded programs that manipulate and execute movements. This is illustrated in figure 2 (appendix). Autonomous robots are mobile and can implement decision based actions ranging from starting, maneuvering and stopping around obstacles. Over the past two decades, robots were neither autonomous nor embedded with powerful features that enable them perform complex tasks. Instead, they only performed minor repetitive tasks based on pre-programmed computer numerical controls (CNC) especially in industries. However, modern and futuristic robots have been integrated with increasing technologies such as artificial intelligence, deep learning and other support systems such as cameras, spectrometers, laser scanners and sensors. Such robots are being designed to suit various uses which contributes towards their advantages. Siegwart et al, (2011) note that autonomous helicopters, industrial robots, robotic assistive devices and kitchen assistants such as Roomba vacuum cleaners are all going to change the future of working, rest and play. This makes it certain that in future, there will be increased robot-human cohabitation where such a relationship will potentially trigger both advantages and disadvantages. It is upon this understanding that this paper uses secondary research design to capture key arguments, on the impact of autonomous robots by citing advantages and disadvantages in regard to how we work, rest and play.

Literature Review on Autonomous Robots and Future of Society

There has been contention on the scope of defining autonomous robots. Some people associate it with any form of technology that uses artificial intelligence to enhance autonomy and precision in carrying out certain duties. On the other hand, some commentators have thought of autonomous robots as physical human like machines that will replace human beings thus assuming the role of humanoids. Whichever the case, it is worth noting that autonomous robots will be used in driverless cars, drones, autonomous airplanes, robotic assistive devices among other applications (Saha, 2014). This makes the application and subsequent use of autonomous robots widespread and unlimited. This is the reason why the subject of autonomous robots is a dilemma and has raised a lot of concerns, given its ability to change the way people rest, work and play. There have emerged divided opinions, leading to debates on the possible impacts of such robots on the society. Some commentators hold that robots will benefit the society in the long run, while other academicians are of the opinion that autonomous robots will be detrimental to the growth and development of an equitable society. These arguments embody different spheres where some introduce economic stunts in order to argue their points. For instance, Schwab (2017) argues that for a long time, capitalism has worked against the poor laborers where owners of capital have exploited them by paying low wage rates. In return, they make high profit margins which is one of the reasons for the growing inequality between the rich and the poor.

Given this argument, owners of capital, who happen to be the rich merchants, will invest intensively into autonomous robots with the intention of replacing laborers. It has been established that such an arrangement would save them recurrent operational costs, thus making production cheaper. The question however is, where will the poor laborers that dependent on these jobs find alternative employment? Will such advancements benefit the whole society? In answering these questions, different views have been introduced. Saha (2014) points out that the key negative outcomes of autonomous robots include; loss of jobs, overdependence on technology would lead to lazy populations thus lifestyle diseases, and also, arguments have embodied the ethical and morality dimension where future wars might replace human soldiers with autonomous robots. In fact, the problem will be widespread given the possibility that terrorists alike would embrace such technologies to remotely cause destruction (Fleischman, 2015). This will increase fatalities in warfare and terror activities. Other disadvantages include the high cost of acquiring the technologies which might be unaffordable to poor households. Questions also abound on the safety and privacy of using such technologies given their dependence on hi-tech devices that are interconnected to the internet of things. There are possibilities that malicious persons might target such machines to cause harm to the society. Miller (2015) cites other negativities of autonomous robots such as intelligence where an autonomous robot could be craftier than the user. This would either be an advantage or a disadvantage.

As much as there are possibilities for such negative outcomes, Sakour and Hu (2015) emphasize that the merits of autonomous robots should not be underrated and overlooked. First, they could be used to access risky areas and conduct operations that could have otherwise endangered human lives. Additionally, they have the undoubted potential of improving quality of life especially for people with disabilities who might depend on autonomous assistive devices such as Roomba, VGO and double telecommuter/ telepresence autonomous robots. These two devices will be essential in replicating real time scenarios, thus enabling people to work away from their physical places of work even when they are sick and hospitalized or when they are away for other duties. The same technologies could be used in conducting physical education or teaching home-bound students. This translates to increased mobility. Apart from this, autonomous robots could be important in lowering production costs. Replacing human beings with robots means that organizations will eliminate recurrent costs paid to employees. In addition, the robots can work consistently and continuously, day and night, without getting tired except for routine repairs and maintenance. Because of these reasons, the future of the modern society will be dependent on the ability to strike a balance between technological boundaries and automation failure to which there will be mass workforce transitions as 75 million to 375 million people switch occupations by 2030 due to rapid adoption of automation (Illustrated in figure 1, appendix) (Weber, 2018). Jobs in future will demand new skills that require application of expertise. The education sector will be impacted and will have to introduce new educational requirements to equip learners with the new skills.

Positive Impacts of Autonomous Robots

Robotics in Enhancing Quality of Life

Tilden (2018) classifies simple household technologies such as toasters as being motivated by autonomous robots. This was the foundation of the modern and future robotics. By performing simple household tasks such as recording shows, playing music, cooking food and even helping in personal planning, people have nurtured trust in autonomous robots and technologies alike. According to Tilden (2018) robots can do four things that will directly contribute towards a higher quality of life. The first one is entertainment, performing tasks in dangerous situations or places, providing elderly care and fourth, facilitating telepresence assistance, tourism and shopping. The author is thrilled by the thought of sitting at a personal computer and doing shopping with the help of an autonomous robot. The robot is embedded with live audio and video feeds which makes it capable of giving feedback and even making bargains. Such robots could also be used to scan the environment and perform virtual walks. This is opposed to the physical walk where someone has to visit places that might endanger their lives. The author is inquisitive on why people should not use autonomous robots to visit places they have never been to, given that the cost of travel and accommodation would significantly increase in the near future. Such a technology, he argues, could be used to visit relatives, provide services to the elderly and even aid disaster management (Sakour & Hu 2015). This creates a situation where autonomous will not only change lives, and enhance its quality, but rather it would expand the abilities of human beings beyond what is currently possible.

Robotic Assistive Technologies

According to Encarnação and Cook, A. (2017) autonomous robots are being introduced into healthcare services mostly to facilitate mobility. This is the case with robotic assistive technologies which are used in rehabilitation. These rehabilitation robots have been cited as useful promoting independent living among people who could have otherwise been dependent on constant help from care givers. Miller (2015) adds that autonomy has become the soul of modern independent living. With the availability of e-retail and other electronic services, it becomes easier for robotic assistive technologies to integrate as part of the internet of things, thus facilitating delivery of essential services to a person on rehabilitation. The rehabilitation robots are equally useful for incapacitated persons who might want to live a normal life in spite of their physical inability to move. In conjunction with robotic assistive technologies, there has emerged assistive devices that can be connected to the autonomous robots thus enabling people with physical disabilities to regain both mobility and functionality. The only requirement for using these assistive autonomous robots is mobility of the upper parts of the body, which helps a person reach buttons on the hand-held remote control (Encarnação & Cook, 2017). Some of the autonomous robots are being used to support limb repositioning among people with reduced muscular strength. This statement justifies the necessity of autonomous robots in changing the way disabled people work, play and rest. By performing personal and individual care tasks such as moving or transferring a person from one position to another, autonomous robots ease mobility, thus making people with disabilities dependent on themselves. At the same time, it restores their functionality, making them capable of undertaking normal work routines.

In addition to this advantage, the future will see robots introduced into schools as assistive technologies. This follows the current trend where robots are increasingly being used in many departments thus changing the way people see work, rest and play. The robotic devices are being set to perform different tasks initially done by human beings. This technology has been tested and tried on schools in Maine (Maine, 2018). It has been useful in teaching home-bound students and hospitalized students alike. Main Schools are using VGO which is a productivity improvement solution enabling people to reproduce themselves in distant locations. An interesting part of VGO is that it not only replicates the voice but also movements of the person. This robotic assistive technology works autonomously, and synchronously with the teacher far away. As a result, the user can hear, talk, see, and interact with the teacher as it would have been if they attended class. It therefore provides a useful solution to students who cannot attend school due to illnesses, medical conditions or accidents (Maine, 2018). The autonomous robot operates in real time both autonomously and with the help of the student. This makes them feel empowered and independent.

Kappassov, Corrales and Perdereau (2015) introduce the concept of double robotics which is ranked as the leader in the manufacture of telepresence robots. It ensures that telecommuters are connected to colleagues. This is achieved by creating a physical presence where someone cannot be in person. It could be helpful not only at the office, but also in conferences and classrooms. This is a sure way through which autonomous robots will change the workplace, play and the way human beings rest. Double robotics uses artificial intelligence and deep learning to create a real time workplace environment where a person incapable of attending meetings can still participate and contribute in group discussions or team work. This is therefore a revolutionary tool that will change the future of work.

Autonomous Robots and Smart Cities

As robots continue to become ubiquitous, it is certain that its impacts will be felt in the next revolution of modern cities, known as smart cities. Čelan, Stančić and Musić (2016) cites that autonomous ground robots will change the way last-mile deliveries are made. In fact, they will not only change deliveries but also alter operations of cities such as law enforcement, traffic control and street cleaning. Such scenarios have been captured in scientific fiction movies such as Metropolis among others. Notably, the role of autonomous robots in smart cities will be dominantly noted in enhanced transport services and mobility. This ranges from automated driverless cars such as Waymo’s and trains to mobility management systems that operate with the help of artificial intelligence (Tussyadiah, Zach & Wang, 2017). Such technological trends are becoming mainstream. There have been proposals to introduce air taxis which will operate as flying drones. Miller (2015) affirms that the augmentation of these technologies to the internet of things will ease transport management in cities, thus reducing wastage of resources while providing alternative transport solutions. Autonomous robots will directly affect logistic and deliveries in smart cities. Eliport, which is a leading investor in smart cities, notes that ground robots, will help solve challenges emanating with dependence on human beings to make deliveries in cities (Eliport, 2018). With smart cities, it will be possible to know when a person reports to their premises, thus make deliveries Just-in-Time.

Prototypes of such a delivery and logistics systems have been synonymous with Otto. The technology has been acquired by Uber. There are plans on introducing autonomous ships for long distance deliveries. Other instances of autonomous robotics in logistics and deliveries can be cited at Amazon’s warehouse and DHL delivery system where Kiva and Toru robots are used respectively (Eliport, 2018). Ocado, an online supermarket has designed and introduced a human free warehouse that depends on robotics yet, it has still managed to create 10,000 jobs. Smart city ports such as Rotterdam are largely dependent on autonomous robots in form of automated straddles that move containers to storage bays without human intervention. The use of autonomous robots is also anticipated to influence construction and urban planning. Cities will need new plans with robot lanes to ease loading and unloading services. Robots will likely be involved in modern design and construction of buildings and roads. Robots could be used to make 3-D models of buildings by working alongside architects and designers. They could be used to monitor temperature anomalies and monitor leaks after which they can generate a report on the progress of construction projects. Autonomous robots will also enhance urban security through policing. A case in point is AnBot which is used in China for law enforcement (Puig-Pey et al, 2017). The use of autonomous robots will contribute towards smart cities that are more people focused, livable, secure and attractive.

Employment and Jobs

The significance of robots on employment and jobs is an ongoing debate that has elicited mixed reactions from futurists, media outlets, politicians, intellectuals, academicians and technology entrepreneurs. Most of these commentators point at the possibility of a more capitalistic world economy that will create greater societal divides as the gap between the poor and super wealthy continues to increase (Saha, 2014). On the other hand, there have been opinions that autonomous robots will free human beings from repetitive mental and physical tasks. This will encourage people to diversity and become more innovative. Such innovations will be seen in arts. The ability for autonomous robots to free up people will enable them to explore other options in life, while equally restoring their ability to choose jobs that excite them. The proponents of smart cities argue that automation, if handled properly will enable firms to optimize their production capabilities thus people will work less, have more time to rest and play (Eliport, 2018). This will positively impact on their lives since it presents opportunities for work life balance. In the same light, they note that the use of autonomous should not affect wage rates because it will only simplify human work but increase profitability, which will enable entrepreneurs to increase wage rates above living wage rates.

Negative Impacts of Autonomous Robots

As much as autonomous robots can be used as robotic assistance devices to promote independent living, they are prone to a number of challenges, namely; issues arising from multimodal and accessible interactions, safety, affordability, privacy, intelligence and real-time performance. Questions have been raised on the suitability of autonomous robotic assistive devices. This includes the lack of multimodal and accessible interactions whereby a person might prefer a touchpad while another might want customized robots with trackball mouse. In addition, there are those people who prefer eye tracking systems while others prefer speech recognition (Martinez-Martin & Del Pobil, 2017). There is also the issue of autonomy of the machine and the freedom of the user to provide personalized commands. The conflict could result into a situation where the autonomous robot might override human instructions thus, causing safety concerns. Basically, the machine can move faster than a disabled or incapacitated person, which means that in the case that an autonomous robot fails to respond, then it might expose the user to danger of falling. This concern corresponds to sentiments raised by Saha (2014) questioning scenarios where a person might fail to respond quickly to unexpected actions by autonomous robots. In addition, the use of autonomous robots have and will continue to raise privacy concerns. This is because personal care or rehabilitation robots are designed, manufactured and embedded with devices that can sense, record, process and report data and information. This will lead to increase in cybercrime and clients will be worried of robots being hacked by malicious persons.

Issues of affordability have equally been raised where by, according to Kortenkamp, Simmons and Brugali (2016) the capabilities and price of a robot should be congruent. Apparently, most of the robots are noted as being too expensive, thus, failing to adhere to the principle of congruence. This disadvantage greatly discourages people from purchasing autonomous robotic assistive devices because manufacturers fail to justify the exorbitant prices charged on these technologies. Tolley et al (2014) point out that there are technicalities that if not addressed, then the autonomous robotic assistive devices might not serve the functions for which they are made. Some of the technicalities required of an effective autonomous robot include the ability to perform tasks in real time. This process requires intelligence, and sensitivity which will ensure the device does not cause injury or harm but rather, helps in learning and making intuitive decisions that ensure safety and comfort of the user.

Siegwart e al (2011) add to this argument noting that one of the major negativities of autonomous robots is the high costs of acquiring the technology. For instance, the pricing for VGO robotics is not currently available even on their website. Nonetheless, commentators have pointed at a lot of hidden charges which discourage people from purchasing and using autonomous robots. On the other hand, double telepresence robotics charge a base price of $3,000 with extras such as a travel case and extended warranty of $700 and $400 respectively (Weber, 2018). For a person to use this autonomous robot too, they need to own an iPad. This makes it elusive to own such technologies especially for the poor households and price sensitive customers.

Workplace Transitions and Switching of Occupations

It is certain that autonomous robots will necessitate a shift in workforce. For instance, it is estimated that between 75 million and 375 million people will have to switch occupations to categories that would either require more expertise or to those, where autonomous robotics would not have infiltrated. This will be a necessity given the rapid adoption of automation by 2030. The new workforce will demand more of expertise than technical skills. The new sets of jobs will demand new skills in managing people, interacting with stakeholders, and handling of emergencies in organizations (Weber, 2018). On the other hand, jobs requiring predictable physical input, collecting data, and processing data will be completely replaced by autonomous robots. This will necessitate a change in curriculum where advanced skills will be required to suit changing employment needs and requirements. Without these skills, the shrinking job market will create massive unemployment. Given that employment is the only avenue for sharing resources and achieving equality, then the rich merchants and owners of capital will continue to become extra wealthy while the poor become poorer. This creates possibilities for an experience-based economy where skills such as nursing care, human experience, cooking and handcraft will become more valuable.

Conclusion

In conclusion, this research paper presents a detailed analysis of the positive and negative impacts of autonomous robots on the future of the modern society. It acknowledges that defining the scope of autonomous robots is hard since the terminology can be interpreted differently by different groups of people depending on their intended outcome. Nonetheless, commonalities in description have affirmed autonomous robots to mean human like technologies with the ability to perceive their immediate environment, make autonomous decision and execute them accordingly. This is attained when the robot perceives and monitors its environment, with the help of embedded programs that manipulate and execute movements.. Because of these abilities, robots have become essential in supporting smart cities, driverless cars, drones, autonomous airplanes, robotic assistive devices among other applications. This makes the application and subsequent use of autonomous robots widespread and unlimited. This is the reason why the subject of autonomous robots is a dilemma and has raised a lot of concerns, given its ability to change the way people rest, work and play. The positive impacts of autonomous robots is enhanced quality of life, perform risky jobs, help in emergencies, smart shopping, tourism and entertainment, autonomous assistive devices will restore functionality and mobility of disabled people, autonomous robots could be important in lowering production costs and also, can be used in providing education to home-bound students. On the downside, autonomous robots would cause loss of jobs, lazy populations thus lifestyle diseases, future wars might replace human soldiers with autonomous robots, high cost of acquiring the technologies as well as safety and privacy concerns.