The term robot first appeared in a 1920 Czech science-fiction play entitled “R.U.R.” The play is about a factory that produces autonomous robots that look exactly like humans. At first, they are pleased to serve humanity, but as times goes by, they become rebellious and attempt to wipe out humanity’s existence.
Robots have greatly evolved in the past century. Some tech experts purport that artificial intelligence can be utilized to expand our standard of living, while others fear that the machine can eventually become autonomous and decide the best way to sustain their existence is to destroy mankind.
Despite the fierce debate, corporate America has decided to embrace robots to combat rising labor costs, implement cost-effective measures and generate headlines in the mainstream media, especially during the holiday season.
Lowe’s (NYSE:LOW) announced Tuesday that it has hired robots known as OSHbots to work as sales representatives and various stores to assist customers during the holiday shopping season. These are human-sized, multilingual robots that greet customers, respond to questions, identify items and track them down.
Furthermore, the robots are equipped with a 3D sensing camera; customers place the item they need in front of the camera, which then allows the robot to understand what it is exactly. Lowe’s executives say this prevents the customer from wandering around the vast stores. Also, there is a 19.5″ touch screen with in-depth details regarding certain products and services.
At the present time, only four robots will be hitting Lowe’s Orchard stores in the Silicon Valley and San Jose, with more robots to be added in the future as more testing will be taken place.
To stay ahead of the competition, Lowe’s has been incorporating enhanced technology into their business model in recent years. For instance, it has a “holoroom,” a room that permits customers to see what furniture looks like in different virtual reality rooms.
Although we have been waiting for robots to perform this type of work on a wide scale, there are some concerns that organizations and people have. Automation has been the growing trend in the past couple of years, particularly as more states increase their minimum wages, which has prompted them to ramp up their automation efforts.
McDonald’s, for example, ordered around 7,000 self-serve touchscreens in 2011 and the company recently announced that it plans to install these machines across the United States. Pizza Hut, meanwhile, has also added self-serve touchscreen menus at their dining tables, which could very well replace servers.
We reported Monday that Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla Motors and early investor of PayPal, told a tech audience last week that he feels “we’re summoning the demon” in regards to artificial intelligence, or AI, as it becomes a growing part of our daily lives. Musk argues that the rise of AI could create a hazardous prospect for humans everywhere.
