Robot (Workforce) Invasion?

            In the past couple of decades technology has rapidly advanced to the point where what was once science fiction is now reality. A multitude of things that were once thought to be impossible are now part of our day to day life. Of the many areas that have advanced, robotics is, in my opinion, the field that is most rapidly approaching (what once was) fantasy. One such technology, which looks suspiciously similar to the AT-AT Walkers, is BigDog. It is a robotic dog (or more functionally pack-mule) designed to carry hundreds of pounds of equipment for soldiers through almost any terrain imaginable. The relief of this simple yet painful task will provide soldiers with better mobility and thus more effective. There are a number of other incredibly useful advances in development such as robotic prosthetic. However, as we approach a world where robots are commonplace we also approach an increasingly robot staffed workforce.

            Currently in Japan, there is a hotel that is scheduled to open in July which will be almost entirely staffed by robots. But what really makes it so incredible is that the hotel will not be staffed by simple mindless machines. The robots set to start working are a set of incredibly complex, creepily humanoid, robots capable of carrying out complex tasks such as assisting guests (such a will luggage and room service), communicating with guests (fluently in four different languages), and even being able to analyze and respond to guest's body language, eye contact, and tone. The eventual goal is that 90% of the hotel's services will be performed by the robots. Similar implementations have been also seen in other locations such as a restaurant in Singapore where all the waiters are Drones. There are also several robots in development to handle basic desk jobs. As robotics continues to advance, future generations roles in the workforce are becoming more questionable.

            In a possibly not so distant future when robots are to perform even the most complex of tasks, what role will humans play in it. If we were to reach a point where robots could literally do any job we could with both greater precision and efficiency, what will the purpose of humanity be? Will we simply invent new work for ourselves or will we simply limit the amount of robotic influence in the workforce? Could humanity really reach a state similar to that of Pixar's WALL-E? It might seem ridiculous now, but if we have fully automated cafes and hotels, is it really so hard to imagine that it will extend to other occupations? In the current state of society technological progress is inevitable so long as it continues to provide a benefit. I would say that the invention of a robot capable of complex communication, cognition, and operation is only a matter of time. In fact, I'm willing to bet that within my lifetime there will be a bipedal robot capable of efficiently interacting with an environment. The only factor of the human existence I don't think we will see in the near future is true intelligence nor the ability to create (like art). So while, I don't think we'll reach a situation as extreme as WALL-E I do think that job opportunities will continue to shift in favor of those requiring invention/creation, complex management, and higher education/intelligence. I also can't imagine that all jobs capable of being replaced by robots will be primarily because of cost. It's likely that the prices of robots will drop but I don't think local shops and small businesses will be able to afford them any time soon. There is also a certain amount of uneasiness that people exhibit when interacting with overly human devices or interfaces, as cleverly explained in a Nvidia tech demo. Essentially people are comfortable with the idea of a humanoid robot and are actually more comfortable as they are more human up until a certain point where it nose-dives to being only describable as creepy. I think for certain fields where human interaction is key, such as medical, this will hinder robotic influence. However, this is also something could be attributed to our society's unfamiliarity with human-like robots and could change as we become more exposed. My final objection to a complete takeover of the workforce by robots is that the creation of robots in itself generates jobs, people are needed to invent and improve them and to some degree repair in situations where typical methods are ineffective. Even when robots can operate entirely autonomously, I believe people will continue to strive for progress, only moving on to new issues and goals.