AI-Powered Robots Will Not Replace Humans, Say Experts

While advances in automation will continue to gain traction, and even accelerate in light of the pandemic, the technology will be used to enhance and complement human efforts

Human workers will remain critical on factory floors for the foreseeable future and will not be entirely replaced by robots and Artificial Intelligence, AI, said leading experts from BMW Group and Deloitte at the Global Manufacturing and Industrialisation Summit (#GMIS2020) Digital Series.

While advances in automation will continue to gain traction, and even accelerate in light of the pandemic, the technology will be used to enhance and complement human efforts, resulting in safer and less repetitive roles for workers, they noted.

Paul Wellener, Vice Chairman of Deloitte, said, “You might think that things are going to be completely automated, but 100 years ago people were saying the same thing about today. Repeatedly, studies have shown that services and processes in manufacturing will never be completely replaced by robots, but they’re going to be enhanced by the utilisation of robotic automation.”

The crisis caused by the pandemic is likely to accelerate the shit towards automation of certain tasks within production, such as repetitive work, materials handling, physically taxing or dangerous activities, or support in identifying quality defects. Humans will be augmented by robots in ways that will result in productivity, efficiency and safety gains.