A recent survey conducted in Japan found that 76% of employees would welcome AI services like ChatGPT to help them make the right decisions at work. However, 80% of respondents want such digital tools to be easily recognizable as machines. The survey, conducted on behalf of the automatica trade fair for smart automation and robotics, involved 1,000 employees. Japan already has a high presence of robots in its manufacturing sector, with a density of 399 robots per 10,000 employees, the third-highest globally ranking behind Singapore and the Republic of Korea. Industrial robotics is particularly in demand because of the global shortage of semiconductors, and there are also strong efforts to decarbonize the economy. Many Japanese also see human-in-command as the way forward, with 81% stating that digital technology needs to place control into the hands of humans.
Patrick Schwarzkopf, an advisory board member of automatica at Messe Munich in Germany, notes that the successful implementation of AI technologies in the workplace can vastly improve working environments. Nevertheless, it is essential to manage the transition to good collaboration between machines and humans in a way that ensures people are not left behind. The world’s leading exhibition for smart automation and robotics, automatica 2023, which takes place in Munich, Germany, will explore how the workplace of the future will evolve in light of changing manufacturing landscapes.
