The impact of AI on the development of robotics
It has been a long time since Czech writer Karel Capek coined the word “robot”. He imagined robots as mechanical people who do heavy physical labor instead of their creators. However, the reality was very different from his fantasies. The first real robots, which appeared in the 1970s, didn't look like humans. They were manipulators — mechanical arms that worked on conveyors or performed simple tasks in a dangerous environment for humans. They also didn't have the free will that Chapek was talking about — primitive robots operated according to pre-designed algorithms and never deviated from them.
But technology does not stand still. At the beginning of the 21st century, a breakthrough took place that could soon lead to the creation of humanoid robots, including intelligent ones. Of course, we're talking about the invention of artificial intelligence. Unlike previous generation algorithmic programs, it can learn and act according to the situation, simulating the decision-making process in the human brain. We will tell you exactly how the advent of AI can influence the development of robotics.
First steps
Dreaming of a bright future is great, but we also need to take into account today's needs. The first experiments on the introduction of artificial intelligence concern those same mechanical manipulators. A great example is the German partnership Audi with Intel and Nebbiolo Technologies. By adding AI to robot software, they achieved the following results:
- Improving the accuracy of production processes. If the robot's sensors detect a defect, it performs the operation again, picks up the part from the conveyor or alerts the mechanisms on the next section of the line.
- Better management of resources and stocks. Catching patterns in regular changes in the conveyor speed, the robot independently orders parts. At the same time, he makes sure that his warehouse area is never overcrowded.
- Reducing energy consumption. The robot chooses the optimal route for the movement of the mechanical arm. At first glance, it doesn't look so impressive — minor algorithm corrections save only 1-3% of electricity. But if we consider that the entire factory consumes megawatts of energy, the figures will be quite impressive.
Another important result is an increase in safety. If a person accidentally enters the work area, the robot will stop the conveyor and sound an alarm. This significantly reduces the level of occupational injuries.
Autonomous mechanisms
US residents do not need to explain what AI-based robots are. A few years ago, Amazon launched express delivery of goods using aerial drones. Other big business representatives followed suit. This is how self-driving vans, robodogs and small mechanized couriers on wheels appeared on American roads and sidewalks.
Delivery robots simply could not exist without artificial intelligence. The world around them is too chaotic to describe how classical algorithms interact with it. To survive in it and do their jobs successfully, robots must make decisions the way humans do. What should I do in case of a collision with a pole? Should I go around or go back? And what if there is a hole on the right and a person is on the left? What if the item is damaged on impact? Everything is individual, and you can't do without thinking, or rather, imitating it.
Of course, autonomous robots can work not only in delivery. They are also able to perform other tasks:
- transporting people are the same self-driving taxis that are also found on American roads;
- analyze the condition of the road surface, and in the future, repair it without involving people in heavy physical labor;
- do landscape design — mow and water lawns, fertilize the soil, remove dried plants and plant new ones;
- clean up garbage and warn utilities about serious pollution;
- build lightweight structures — a hybrid of an intelligent robot and a 3D printer can build a concert stage or a forest from scratch to service a multi-storey building.
Mechanical workers in the service sector
It is believed that in its pure form, artificial intelligence takes office jobs, and robots take industrial jobs. By combining them, we get machines that can work in another important industry — the service sector.
Robots with AI-based software will cope with the following tasks:
- they will put the goods on the shelves in the store and provide customers with advice — thanks to generative models like GPT, they can imitate natural human speech;
- they will repair household appliances or production equipment, eliminate water leaks and breaks in electrical networks;
- ensure the most comfortable conditions for the patient's stay in the hospital, warn the doctor about the deterioration of his health and prepare the necessary medicines;
- they will prepare restaurant meals and drinks in coffee shops — similar establishments already exist in Japan, and their visitors claim that automation has a positive effect on food quality;
- they will help you choose clothes and customize them to your figure — thanks to the robotization of the fashion industry, we can return to the era of individual tailoring.
There is another important area in the industry — the creation of humanoid robots, that is, androids. Karel Capek's dream is being fulfilled to make it easier for untrained people to interact with reasonable mechanisms. Agree, it is much more pleasant to talk to a person than to a soulless bank terminal or car. But so far, these attempts leave much to be desired. Modern androids cause fear and rejection — they really look like humans, but they are betrayed by unnatural habits.
Dangerous predictions
No matter how you feel about all kinds of conflicts between people, they are also part of the world around us. Given their danger to humans, the emergence of robots in this area was inevitable. In the US, robots are already patrolling the streets with police officers. One of the most advanced developments is the famous Boston Dynamics mechanical dog armed with Taser stun guns. The US authorities even adopted the law about the possibility of using lethal weapons by robotic police officers, but it was later recalled due to ethical conflicts.
Intelligent robots are already changing the landscape of warfare. One of the key areas of their development is aerial drones with machine vision. In fact, these are autonomous projectiles that can independently find a target and pursue it until it is completely destroyed. Top defense companies are investing billions of dollars in developing “drone swarms”. Machines within such a complex can exchange information like ants or bees. This makes their guidance more accurate, and air defense breakthrough tactics more effective.
The US Department of Defense and DARPA are also working on the development of autonomous jet fighters. The first models showed high efficiency in air combat. However, there were some failures. In one test, the robot decided to kill an operator who intentionally gave irrational commands. It seems that science fiction writers and screenwriters have correctly predicted our future. The use of artificial intelligence in weapons is a real Pandora's box. Once we open it, we will face unpredictable consequences.
Space research
Humans have not yet set foot on the surface of other planets, but robots have been cruising the lifeless deserts of Mars for a long time. Automated probes have visited Venus, comets and even took part in asteroid bombardment. Modern technologies have increased the success rate of space missions from 20— 30% in the 1950s to 50— 65%. Yet every failure is worth billions, if not trillions, of dollars wasted. Some of them could be avoided if robots could make their own decisions, for example, adjust the landing site or choose the optimal time to open solar panels.
Therefore, space research is also a priority for the development of intelligent robots. Leading space agencies are already planning several missions involving AI:
- ESA Plato, Roman, Ariel are a series of orbiting telescopes that will search for Earth-like planets in various sectors of space, from our spiral arm of the Milky Way to neighboring galaxies.
- Europa Clipper is a space station that will orbit Europa, one of Jupiter's largest moons. Using artificial intelligence, it will study the depth of the subglacial ocean and the possibility of life in it.
- SpaceX Mars Mission — Elon Musk's company is developing its own XAI artificial intelligence for a reason. It is planned that he will go to Mars with people, where he will warn residents of the colony about dangers from space and manage the distribution of resources.
In the long term, robots with artificial intelligence may travel to interstellar space. Unlike humans, they are able to exist in an aggressive environment for decades, keeping in touch with their mother planet. Therefore, intelligent robots may become the first visitors to other star systems and even galaxies.
Top scientific achievements
It is no exaggeration to say that the invention of robotics was one of the most important scientific breakthroughs of the 20th century, and the creation of artificial intelligence was the best event of the 21st century. By combining them, humanity has made a new technological revolution — experts are already saying that we have entered the era of Industry 5.0. The potential of intelligent robots is almost limitless. They can do anything from delivering goods to exploring distant galaxies.
So far, AI robots are not only suitable for creative work, although this may also change with the advent of generalized artificial intelligence (AGI). And there is one more serious “but” to keep in mind when looking for new ways to use the technology. Humanity is already actively using artificial intelligence to develop new types of weapons. This could potentially lead to new threats to our existence, much more serious than the wars of past centuries.
And yet we hope that empowering robots with artificial intelligence will lead to prosperity, not destruction, for humanity. By entrusting mechanical assistants with all the routine work, we will be able to truly focus on developing our civilization.
Artificial intelligence is already benefiting us by doing monotonous, routine work in digital marketing, e-commerce, and other similar industries. Would you like to know exactly how you can use it in your business? Contact Start:Duck specialists for a free consultation!
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