3. A ROBOT IS A MACHINE DESIGNED TO EXECUTE ONE OR MORE TASKS
AUTOMATICALLY WITH SPEED AND PRECISION. THERE ARE AS MANY DIFFERENT
TYPES OF ROBOTS AS THERE ARE TASKS FOR THEM TO PERFORM.
10. ON THE HUMAN SIDE, PEOPLE HAVE TO BE TRAINED FOR TASKS
COMPUTERS CANNOT PERFORM. THIS MEANS PRIORITISING SCIENCE,
TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING AND MATH (STEM) EDUCATION. BUT THAT’S
NOT THE ONLY SOLUTION. UPSKILLING AND RESKILLING EMPLOYEES IS
CRITICAL FOR BUSINESSES. CHALLENGE TO RESKILLING WILL BE STIFF AS
NEW JOBS WILL KEEP REPLACING OLD ONES AT A RAPID PACE. AND,
UPSKILLING WILL BE MADE CHALLENGING BY THE FACT THAT MUCH OF
WHAT STUDENTS LEARN IN A TECHNICAL COURSE AT COLLEGE WILL
BECOME OUTDATED WHEN THEY REACH THE EMPLOYMENT STAGE.
11. THE UTILITY OF HUMANS AND ROBOTS
• OBVIOUSLY, HUMANS AND ROBOTS SHOULD BE USED WHERE AND WHEN EACH ARE
MOST USEFUL. AS TECHNOLOGIES FOR ROBOTS IMPROVE THE NUMBER OF THOSE
TASKS THAT ROBOTS ARE BETTER AT WILL INCREASE.
• CURRENTLY ROBOTS ARE BETTER THAN HUMANS AT A NUMBER OF THINGS.
MACHINES CAN PERCEIVE BEYOND THE HUMAN VISUAL SPECTRUM, THEY NEED A
SMALLER MASS OF CONSUMABLES (E.G., FOOD), THEY ARE MORE EXPENDABLE,
AND THEY CAN BE BUILT TO BETTER TOLERATE ENVIRONMENTAL EXTREMES (E.G.,
COLD AND RADIATION).