Photo: Amazon
Amazon Begins Using Humanoid Robot Workers
In a nondescript Amazon warehouse near Seattle, employees recently encountered the future of work: a 5-foot-9-inch robot named Digit. Designed by Agility Robotics Inc., Digit resembles a human but walks akin to a bird, with glowing white eyes. Its singular task? Plucking empty yellow bins off shelves and shuttling them to a conveyor, repeatedly.
While Digit is still in its testing phase and unlikely to revolutionize logistics overnight, it represents a significant leap in technology. Agility Robotics aims to produce 10,000 robots annually for deployment in warehouses worldwide, positioning itself at the forefront of a burgeoning industry.
Powered by increasingly affordable motors, batteries, and cutting-edge technologies like computer vision and artificial intelligence, humanoid robots have seen a surge in investment. Per Bloomberg, “Startups in the nascent field have hauled in some $1.6 billion in venture capital in the last five years, according to PitchBook data.” And Digit isn’t the only humanoid robot in development. Tesla Inc. and startups like Apptronik Inc. and 1X Technologies AS are also designing robots that aim to mimic people.
However, Agility’s pragmatic approach sets it apart from competitors. With executives boasting diverse industry experience, including stints at Microsoft and Qualcomm, the company focuses on practical applications rather than lofty ideals of abundance or space colonization.
Digit’s journey began with Cassie, a robot designed for agility with just hips and legs that bent backward. Evolving into Digit, the robot gained rudimentary arms and a torso, making it suitable for warehouse tasks. Its current role involves handling empty bins, but Agility aims to expand its capabilities to tasks like unloading trucks and dismantling pallets.
Despite its potential, Digit faces limitations. Its battery life is restricted, and it operates at a slower pace than human workers. Additionally, replicating the dexterity of human hands remains a challenge, with Digit using clamplike paddles for grasping.
Nevertheless, companies like GXO Logistics see promise in Digit’s flexibility and envision it working alongside human employees. Agility plans to refine its technology further, with a focus on adaptability and user-friendly interfaces.
As the robotics industry evolves, Agility aims to extend its reach beyond logistics, envisioning applications in retail, healthcare, and more. While widespread adoption may still be years away, the journey has begun, with Digit leading the charge in transforming warehouses into hubs of human-robot collaboration.
Logistics, in particular, has seen a surge in the adoption of robots, driven by the booming e-commerce sector in the Asia-Pacific region. As companies strive to meet the demands of millennials and Generation Z, the market for logistics robots is expected to grow at a staggering rate of 26.2% CAGR over the next five years.
However, amidst these advancements, it is crucial to address the cybersecurity concerns that accompany the integration of robots into the workforce. With robots gradually replacing human workers, there is a looming threat of hackers targeting these machines to disrupt business operations or compromise sensitive data.
A study conducted by Kaspersky revealed that the majority of employees recognize the potential cybersecurity risks associated with robotics and are hesitant to grant robots complete autonomy. Concerns arise regarding the ability to swiftly recover production processes in the event of a cyberattack or malfunction. A staggering 78% of respondents believe that full recovery would take days or even weeks.
The lack of clarity surrounding responsibility in the event of robot malfunctions further exacerbates these concerns. According to the study, 60% of respondents express uncertainty regarding who holds ultimate accountability, highlighting the need for robust regulations and oversight.
Despite the apprehension surrounding the rise of robots in the workplace, there is also optimism regarding their potential to enhance industrial efficiency under human supervision. However, only a minority of workers are willing to relinquish complete control to AI robots.
As automation and robotics continue to advance, there is a growing apprehension regarding job displacement. While robots offer unparalleled efficiency and consistency, they also pose a threat to certain job roles. However, historical precedent suggests that technological advancements inevitably lead to shifts in the workforce.
Discussion Questions
As humanoid robots like Digit become increasingly integrated into warehouse operations, what ethical considerations should industry leaders prioritize to ensure fair treatment of both human and robotic workers, particularly regarding issues of job displacement, labor rights, and workplace safety?
With automation advancing across industries, how can policymakers, businesses, and educators work together to address job displacement while leveraging robotics and AI to create new opportunities and economic resilience in the digital era?
Poll
Loading …BrainTrust
Mohamed Amer, PhD
Independent Board Member, Investor and Startup Advisor
Shep Hyken
Chief Amazement Officer, Shepard Presentations, LLC
The Digit robot Amazon has deployed performs a very basic function. However, it gives an insight into the direction of travel. Amazon, and other retailers, will use robotics to undertake more and more simple tasks that have, hitherto, required human labor. For the time being the use of robots is likely to be blended with human workers, but longer term we will see much more automation. One key consideration, however, is the cost versus the benefit. We already know that the full automation of grocery, as in Ocado’s model, is capitally intensive and still doesn’t drive profit in a very low margin sector. This cost benefit equation must be central to future decisions around automation.
The questions here were rather curious, centering on the traditional Luddite concerns – ethics (i.e unemployment) – whereas the actual article placed quite a bit of attention on cybersecurity (which is something I believe most people don’t even consider). Those who are eager for Digit’s pals to join him – her?them? – on the workroom floor will see both of these as issues that will eventually be worked out, whereas those less eager will see the latter as “just one more issue” (to add to the former.) How do I feel ? relieved… that I will likely be retired before these issues move out of the theoretical phase.
Absolutely! Those who are eager will see all issues resolvable. Those who are less enthusiastic will slow progress down. This is not just an Amazon issue; it is a national issue. Robots will continue to be adapted by manufacturing at an ever-increasing pace. Which country will provide the millions of robots to be used around the world?
Ah, the search for silver bullets never ceases. As a company, Amazon came to be due to technological advances that enabled a new business model. Technology is at the heart of everything that Amazon does or plans for. Any time Amazon can replace human labor with technology, it will do so and leverage its scale to accelerate the breakeven point. The Robotics example here is functionally basic, deliberate, and slow; however, it demonstrates the direction and commitment of the company to control all its cost elements and eliminate the perceived risks and unpredictability of a labor force that could unionize, demand wage increases, or get injured on the job. Amazon’s strength is technology and R&D; the human element is a necessary evil for now.
Despite its potential, Digit faces limitations.
The real question for me is, can the U.S. lead in the development of humanoid robots? In November 2023, China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) announced plans to mass-produce humanoid robots by 2025. The MIIT also plans to:
I am not sure that such a thing as “fair treatment for robotic workers” exists, unless this is really a science fiction novel. Between robots and AI there is really no where to run. What to do? New opportunities will arise from both of these trends, just like they always do. Just ask the buggy whip manufacturers….
The undeniable reality is that era of robots replacing humans has arrived. From autonomous Waymo cars shuttling us around (I experienced this in Phoenix recently and it was excellent) to robots like Digit moving boxes around warehouses, we are already living with and working with robots. Companies that deploy robots will rightly claim that robots are deployed to do the monotonous work humans don’t want to do, so there’s no harm. Human worker attrition is inevitable. The technology is advancing too rapidly and being deployed too broadly for policymakers to establish any sort of meaningful guardrails around this, and we shouldn’t count on businesses to save the human worker since they are motivated by productivity and profit. This era is both terrifying and exciting.
Henry Ford gave us the Model T and generations later Ford then gave us the GT40. If we are at the robotic Model T stage now, we of course know that the GT40’s are in the pipeline. I suspect it will take a lot less time for robotics to evolve than it took for cars. So this is absolutely the time to be asking and answering these questions. If Agility Robotics is making 10,000 robots, does that translate into 10,000 jobs lost forever, or 10,000 workers shifted into higher level employment? Robots are more of a solution than they are a problem. The problem is how different companies prepare and implement the introduction of robots into their culture and processes. And how they plan and execute the inevitable job displacement. The job displacement is going to happen. No need for any hand wringing. I suspect that there will be a wide range of skill and humanity (pun intended) exercised as robots enter the workforce.
To your reference to the time of innovation in Model T…technology is moving ever and ever faster.
Human population (and especially working-age demographics) is already coming down in Japan, Korea, and even China. If the U.S. does not get serious about thoughtful immigration reform the same will be happening here soon (already so in Wisconsin, for instance.) We all notice how much longer it takes to get services completed and job vacancies – not helped by a million Americans dying of COVID but that just accelerated the trendline. Robots are necessary tools to help those humans still on the job to get the work done.
Using a phased approach can help human workers get used to working alongside robots. Robots ease the strain of physical labor and humans are superior at solving more complex issues. Practical training and education are essential to help human workers stay relevant as automation permeates retail.
Policymakers can fund educators and businesses to incentivize them to collaborate on scaling the development of modern, real-world skillsets. Students and workers need this training to remain in-demand and help businesses stay globally competitive.
Robots aren’t new, but robots replacing humans is a fairly new phenom. It’s only a matter of time before we see improvements to the point of replacing humans. Should the workforce be afraid? Not for years, if ever. If you want a case study, look at the automotive industry and the robots they are using to build cars.
In my view, industry leaders must prioritize ethical considerations to ensure fair treatment for both human and robotic workers in warehouses. This includes addressing concerns of job displacement by offering retraining programs and creating new job roles that complement automation.
I’d say labor rules should be upheld for all workers, regardless of whether they are human or robotic, with clear regulations in place to protect their interests. Additionally, since workplace safety is of utmost importance, meticulous planning is required to prevent any accidents that may involve both humans and robots.
Finally, a collaboration between policymakers, businesses, and educators is crucial to develop strategies that ensure to mitigate job displacement, while leveraging robotics and AI to create new economic opportunities in the digital era.