AI and robotics are coming together. What benefits and pitfalls does this present for society?
The word ‘robot’ first appeared in 1920 in a Czech science fiction play. But despite its long history, and the fascination and speculation it has provoked, robotics has been somewhat eclipsed in the popular imagination by the rise of AI, discussion of which has largely focused on the digital realm.
The two fields are becoming increasingly intertwined, however, and drawing a hard and fast line between them is likely to make less sense in years to come. The market for AI-enabled robots is set to hit $124.26 billion by 2034, and some experts believe that giving AI models a physical presence, or at least a ‘world model’ understanding of the physical world, is essential to achieving truly human-like intelligence.
The robots are already here
We don’t need a crystal ball to see the real-world impact of these technologies – AI-powered robots already play a role in our daily lives, even if we don’t interact with them directly or have complete awareness of the role that they play. Although advanced systems are capital-intensive and tend to be adopted by larger companies, the International Federation for Robotics reports that there are already over 4 million robotic units in factories worldwide.
In the UK, Ocado has pioneered AI in the grocery market with its solution for customer fulfilment centres, called ‘The Hive’. This uses an AI ‘air traffic control’ system to co-ordinate a fleet of robots that pack groceries in a 3D storage grid. Robots have also been used for many years in car manufacturing plants to perform parts of the assembly process on the production line.
In addition to packing our shopping and building cars, AI robots could soon assist with many other routine (and not-so-routine) tasks. Multimodal learning – the ability of models to integrate multiple types of data, from words to images to video and audio – is helping AI to develop a ‘world model’ understanding of the physical environments robots may encounter.
Nvidia is one of the companies at the forefront of these developments, and the company’s CEO, Jensen Huang, used his keynote presentation at CES 2025 to announce Cosmos, a new platform for what the company calls ‘world foundation models’. These neural networks simulate real-world environments and predict accurate outcomes based on video, image, or text input. Training robots through these simulated environments improves their ability to generalise and adapt, equipping them for more complex tasks.
Trust in the machine
Despite the potential of these breakthroughs, trust in both AI and robotics hangs in the balance as is evidenced by the Edelman Trust Barometer. People have concerns about job impacts, with 59% of global respondents saying they worry about job loss to automation, while more than a third of those who feel less than enthusiastic about the growing use of AI say this is because it might devalue what it means to be human. Meanwhile, over half of global respondents say they would feel more positive about AI if they could see the benefits to society (53%) and see the benefits to themselves (51%). In other words, they’re looking for technology companies and stakeholders of innovation, such as governments and the media, to show how these technologies can help contribute to a future that includes them and benefits their lives.
To allay these concerns, tech companies need to address the idea that automation is simply a replacement for human workers and consider where robotics and AI can be most ‘additive’, augmenting human work and assisting in areas that might not otherwise be possible without robotic assistance.
Tech for good
There are already examples of how robotics and AI are having a positive societal impact in areas such as healthcare and worker safety.
For example, in collaboration with Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, researchers from the University of York have explored the use of AI-powered ‘social robots’ to instruct hospital patients on how to use medical equipment to measure their own vital signs. This can help to support medics in triaging emergency room patients.
AI-enabled robots could also be applied in other healthcare settings. Japanese engineer Dr Takanori Shibata has created PARO, a robotic seal therapeutic companion used to supplement elderly care. The technology is currently being tested for its potential to help UK dementia patients in NHS units.
Elsewhere, a report by the US National Safety Council highlights the potential for robots to reduce workplace injuries and fatalities, including fall risks, musculoskeletal disorders, and exposure to hazardous environments. The study concludes that computer vision, data science, and AI are rapidly advancing robotics towards a more autonomous future, better integrated with dynamic environments and human workers. Meanwhile, AI-powered robots and drones are also starting to play a role in predicting and fighting wildfires, with the potential to revolutionise firefighting.
Humans in the loop
The 2024 Edelman Trust in Tech special report highlights that the management of innovation can have a significant impact on whether people accept or reject it. Supporting this, recent research by Eurofound articulates how worker involvement in the design and deployment of robots can mitigate key stressors and better adapt systems to real work environments.
This speaks to a broader point about AI and robotics. Their potentially disruptive and transformative nature means that there are also risks and potential downsides for workers, which can’t be simply ignored. This requires a wider societal conversation regarding adaptation – how and where skills and roles may need to evolve in future to take into account a new paradigm where AI and robotics bring new abilities to the table. Identifying how robots, humans and AI can best work together to solve problems, clarifying the roles for uniquely human skillsets and where these are best augmented by AI and robotics. If these technologies are implemented responsibly – with due consideration of their downstream impacts – businesses can build trust and provide genuine benefits for society. Involving key stakeholders in the planning process and clearly communicating the technology’s benefits is central to such a responsible approach to adoption.
By exploring use cases where robots can address acute labour shortages, boost the safety of human workers and augment human capabilities, companies can demonstrate the technology’s value and invest in solutions that can bring benefits for society as a whole.
David Whitehead is EMEA Technology Executive Positioning Leader at Edelman.