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Rise of Humanlike Robots

Robots are increasingly becoming integrated into everyday life, performing tasks from manufacturing to customer service. Scientists are developing advanced robots that can learn and mimic human behavior, raising questions about their impact on jobs and human interaction. While some fear job loss due to automation, experts suggest that humans will likely work alongside robots rather than be replaced by them.

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100% found this document useful (1 vote)
20 views4 pages

Rise of Humanlike Robots

Robots are increasingly becoming integrated into everyday life, performing tasks from manufacturing to customer service. Scientists are developing advanced robots that can learn and mimic human behavior, raising questions about their impact on jobs and human interaction. While some fear job loss due to automation, experts suggest that humans will likely work alongside robots rather than be replaced by them.

Uploaded by

talberry
Copyright
© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

RISE OF THE

ROBO
In the
News
LEXILE
800L-900L

Machines are starting to look


and act more like humans.
Is that a good thing? BY TOD OLSON

4 May 2019 | Scholastic Action


OTS
GO TO
VIDEO 1 VIDEO 2
WEB VIEW

W e rarely see robots, except in movies. But


in reality, these machines have a tremendous
impact on your life. They build your school buses
and help pack the clothes you buy online. They
might even milk the cow that contributes to
your breakfast.
Now, scientists are working on a new
generation of robots. These robots will do more
than just work in factories or warehouses. They’ll
serve you drinks and greet you in a store. They
may even teach your classes in school or examine
you when you’re sick. And they will look, move,
and even think like you—sort of.

PAUSE AND THINK: How do robots


affect your everyday life?

Factory Workers
The majority of robots working today aren’t
the walking, talking robots you see in science
fiction movies. Instead, they’re just machines
that perform tasks without human help. Usually
they are controlled by a computer and are
used to efficiently carry out simple jobs. They
perform repetitive tasks, working behind
the scenes. Æ

VOCABULARY
impact: a powerful effect
contributes: supplies something
efficiently: doing something well without
wasting materials, time, or energy
ROBOT OR HUMAN? developing: creating something over
An expert works on
MATT CARDY/GETTY IMAGES

a period of time
Fred, a very lifelike
robot. Some scientists engineers: people who design and
think people are more build complicated products, machines,
likely to trust robots and structures
that look like humans.

[Link]/action | May 2019 5


The first robot ever to work in a factory fit that
ROBOTS IN
REAL LIFE
description. It was a 2,700-pound metal arm called
Unimate that helped build cars at General Motors
in the 1960s. The giant arm picked up hot metal
parts and joined them together. Here are three
Since then, robots have replaced humans in
ways you might
millions of jobs. Farming robots pull up weeds
around lettuce plants. Flippy, a robotic arm,
come in contact
cooks fast-food burgers. And SAM100, a truck- with robots one
like robot, helps build walls by laying almost day soon.
400 bricks an hour.

PAUSE AND THINK: What are robots?


How are they most often used?
humanlike robots that almost look real. The
company’s engineers use tiny motors to control
Walking, Talking Robots smiles and winks. They create plastic skin that has
Robots like Unimate, Flippy, and SAM100 wrinkles and hair.
have useful skills. However, the next generation of Humanlike robots aren’t commonplace yet.
robots will make them look basic. But in your lifetime, you’ll probably encounter
In laboratories around the world, scientists many of them. They already assist visitors with
are developing robots with artificial checking in at hotels in Japan. In the future, they
intelligence—the ability to learn and think like may even help care for sick people.
humans do. Some machines can recognize our
speech and respond. Others see by using lasers PAUSE AND THINK: Why are some
scientists making humanlike robots?
and cameras.
Robots that can see or hear are already
performing more complicated tasks, such as Big Questions

LEFT TO RIGHT: SIMBE ROBOTICS; RINGO CHIU/[Link]/NEWSCOM; COURTESY OF MARBLE


delivering medicine in hospitals and measuring Many people find the rise of the robots to be
how well farmers’ crops are growing. And if you scary. If we’re sick, can a machine provide the
shop at a Schnucks grocery store in St. Louis, best comfort? Will robots start to replace human
Missouri, watch out for Tally. This 6-foot-tall robot contact in our lives?
roams the aisles, counting items on the shelves. And the greatest concern: Will robots put
humans out of work? Millions of factory jobs have
PAUSE AND THINK: What is artificial already been lost to machines.
intelligence?
However, some experts believe you probably
won’t lose your job to a robot. They predict that
Robot or Human? you’ll simply work alongside one. The question is,
In addition to acting like us, machines are will you know for sure? •
also looking more human. Because some scientists
believe people are more likely to trust robots that PAUSE AND THINK: Why might you not
know you’re working next to a robot?
look like humans, one British company is making

6 May 2019 | Scholastic Action


Cheeseburgers, Excuse
coming up! me, pizza
1 delivery.

In a grocery
store Tally is
a 6-foot-tall 3
robot. It counts
I spy the items on 2 On a sidewalk
72 boxes the shelves If you live in Dallas,
of rice . . . at Schnucks At a restaurant A robot Texas—look out! A
markets in named Flippy flips burgers company called
St. Louis, at CaliBurger, a fast-food Marble is testing out
Missouri. restaurant in California. food-delivery robots.

Action
Activity

5 Questions About
Rise of the Robots
WHAT TO DO: Answer the questions below. Use full sentences.
GO
FURTHER!
FIND MORE
ACTIVITIES

?
1. When did robots start working in factories?

WHEN

?
2. What are three jobs that robots already do?

WHAT

?
3. How do engineers make robots look like humans?

HOW

?
4. Where do humanlike robots help visitors check into hotels?

WHERE

?
5. Why are some people worried about robots?

WHY
Answers are in the Teacher’s Guide.

[Link]/action | May 2019 7

Common questions

Powered by AI

The main advantage of robots replacing human workers in factories is increased efficiency and productivity; robots can perform repetitive tasks without tiring and with precision . However, a significant disadvantage is job displacement, as millions of factory jobs have been lost to machines, although some experts predict humans will work alongside robots rather than being replaced entirely .

Robots are now being used in service settings, such as hospitals for delivering medicine and grocery stores for inventory tasks, showing a shift from purely industrial use to direct consumer-facing roles . Additionally, humanlike robots are assisting with tasks in hotels and testing in food delivery .

Scientists make robots look and act more like humans by using tiny motors to control facial expressions like smiles and winks and creating plastic skin with wrinkles and hair . The intended impact is to increase trust, as some scientists believe that people are more likely to trust robots that resemble humans .

Tally operates by roaming grocery store aisles to count items on shelves, and Flippy cooks burgers, relying on the ability to perform specific tasks autonomously . Unimate, the older robot, was a giant metal arm that simply performed repetitive tasks in a controlled setting, like assembling car parts at General Motors .

The ethical implications include the risk of reducing human contact, which could affect emotional well-being. If robots replace human jobs in the care sector, it might lead to a decline in empathy and personal interaction for patients and clients . This raises questions about the suitability of machines in roles requiring emotional intelligence and human interaction.

People are concerned that humanlike robots might reduce human contact in everyday life, as these machines can potentially replace roles that involve personal interaction, like caregiving . Another major concern is job loss, though some experts suggest humans will not lose jobs but will work alongside robots .

Artificial intelligence will enhance robots' functionality by enabling them to perform more complex tasks. Robots can already recognize speech, respond, see through lasers and cameras, and utilize AI to deliver medicine or assess crop growth effectively .

Technological advancements such as artificial intelligence, sensors like lasers and cameras, and human-like features allow robots to operate with autonomy . This enables them to perform tasks like delivering medicine or checking stock levels independently . The implication for future developments is that robots could perform increasingly complex and human-like tasks, potentially transforming many aspects of daily life and industries.

Currently, humanlike robots assist visitors in checking into hotels in Japan . In the future, they are anticipated to provide care for sick individuals, reflecting a broader integration into healthcare and service industries .

Robots contribute to agricultural efficiency by performing precise tasks, such as pulling up weeds and assessing crop growth through advanced sensors and AI, which can lead to better management and higher yields .

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