Robots have been used in the manufacturing industry for more than seventy years. The earliest record of an industrial robot, which adheres to the ISO definition, dates back to 1937 and was completed by Bill P. Taylor. The device is powered by a single motor and could stack wooden blocks in pre-programmed patterns. Since then robots have been present in almost all industries. Now coupled with the advancement in artificial intelligence, some experts believe that robots would soon play a more important part in the modern workforce. One tech insider however warn about the possible disadvantages of the developments in robotics.
Just last Sunday, Professor Moshe Vardi delivered a speech to members of the American Association for the Advancement of Science at Rice University. Moshe Vardi is an Israeli computer scientist who has been a recipient of three IBM Outstanding Innovation Awards. Vardi has also published 400 technical papers and has authored several books including "Reasoning About Knowledge."
During his address, Vardi claims that in thirty years computers and robots would be equipped to do almost all jobs human beings can.
"A typical answer is that if machines will do all our work, we will be free to pursue leisure activities," quipped Vardi.
He has also predicted that unemployment rate would sky-rocket to 50% by 2045.
While a life filled with only leisure seems attractive for some, Vardi warns about how unfulfilling that might be. He explains that the quest for the meaning of life is bound to be get more difficult in the light of artificial intelligence.
"Humanity is about to face perhaps its greatest challenge ever, which is finding meaning in life after the end of 'In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread. We need to rise to the occasion and meet this challenge before human labor becomes obsolete"