Photo: 123RF/Alexander Limbach
The robots are no longer coming - they're already here.
From rice-sized brain surgeons to caregivers for the elderly, humanoid machines powered by artificial intelligence have begun performing jobs once thought to be uniquely human.
But as companies race to replace human workers with machines, will robots free us from drudgery, or render us redundant?
Speaking with Sunday Morning's Jim Mora, two-time Emmy Award-winning tech journalist Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson said the answer might be both.
He explains that in China, robots are not only building cars but are being designed to serve as household assistants.
"Their goal is to merge AI brains and these human-like movements that they're capable of doing, and turn them into essentially, assistance in our own homes.
"This could be a real profound breakthrough in the way we live independently as we get older.
"And that all sounds fabulous. But, when you make these robots super smart… at what point do you worry about these robots saying, 'we have our own goals now'?"
Cheaper than a human
While the vision of robotic caregivers may feel futuristic, their entry into the workforce is already underway.
Goldman Sachs expects] the robot market to be worth as much as US$205 billion by 2035, while a JP Morgan report predicts that 2026 will be the "Year of Physical AI".
Knudson said there's no doubt this technology will kill jobs, citing a Citigroup estimate that a factory robot may cost as little as $20,000 - an investment quickly recouped when compared with human wages and benefits.
And while some industry experts argue the rise of robots will actually create new jobs, Knutsson is sceptical.
"That's complete garbage. That's the HR department at big companies."
In some organisations, he noted, managers are now required to prove that AI can't do a job before hiring a human.
The medical breakthrough bright side
Yet not all developments are bleak.
Knutsson described a recent breakthrough involving a rice-sized robot] capable of performing brain surgery, accessing parts of the brain unreachable by human surgeons.
"This is real. They're actually performing this, and it shows some extraordinary promise," he said.
"You go, okay… when are we going to see that save my life if I have a brain tumour?
"We're looking at less than a year."
This heralds the dawn of a medical revolution, he said, as miniature robots, super-intelligent diagnostic systems, and precision surgical tools promise to extend life and improve patient outcomes.
Regulation lagging
But will the robot revolution improve human wellbeing or condemn us to the unemployment line?
Future regulation, said Knutsson, will determine the answer.
"The biggest problem is... there are very few checks and balances," he warned, particularly in the US, where innovation is outpacing legislation.
"You're gonna innovate a lot faster... but the negatives are the thing's gonna come back and turn around against you faster than you even know."
While the European Union has introduced comprehensive AI regulations, what's missing, Knutsson argued, is a coordinated global effort.
"Once it's out there, it's done, and we're done," he said.
"It's inevitable that these machines will surpass us… unless we rein it in and use it to our benefit."
A crisis of purpose?
But if machines perform all essential tasks, what will be left for people to do?
"The human race wasn't designed for endless leisure time," Mora noted.
Knutsson agrees.
"When are you most satisfied in life? It's when you succeed at doing something… for your community."
If technology takes away our ability to contribute, he said, it may also rob us of meaning.
Whatever the future, he said one thing is clear - the robots are coming. And they're not just here to help, they're here to stay.
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