Robots are no longer confined to assembling cars or vacuuming floors. They are now laying tiles, patrolling neighborhoods, and even entering private spaces like bedrooms, resembling scenes from science fiction films.
As automation accelerates, machines are taking over tasks once performed by humans, spanning from construction sites to street corners. The line between novelty and necessity blurs, challenging the meaning of work, relationships, and life alongside machines.
In June 2024, Hugging Face entered the humanoid robotics space, unveiling Reachy 2, an AI-powered robot developed by its subsidiary Pollen Robotics. Priced at $70,000, this innovation reflects the growing affordability driving broader adoption of robots in real-world applications.
Below are some professions being disrupted by robots, what this means for workers, and how society is adapting to the rise of machine-driven labor.
Construction
Robotics is transforming the construction industry by automating tasks such as bricklaying, welding, painting, and surface finishing. Using robots allows managers to cut costs, speed up timelines, and reduce reliance on human labor.
According to a 2024 report by venture capital firm Cemex Ventures, the global construction robotics market is projected to reach $774.6 million by 2032.
Experts say the rise of robotics in labor-intensive fields is not just about efficiency but also addresses a growing shortage of workers unwilling to perform physically demanding jobs.
"This is where we focus on augmenting the workforce," Ariyan Kabir, CEO of GrayMatter Robotics, told Decrypt. "In the application areas we target, there simply aren’t enough people to do the work."
As robots take on more responsibilities at construction sites, they are also making strides in less traditional fields, such as policing.
Police Patrols
Police departments are beginning to deploy robots to patrol city streets, using autonomous machines and drones to monitor public spaces, respond to incidents, and assist with surveillance.
In December, a video went viral online showing police in Shenzhen, China, patrolling the city alongside RT-G, a spherical robot.
Developed by Logon Technology Co., Ltd., RT-G is an AI-powered robot capable of facial recognition and alerting authorities to suspicious activities. Equipped with tear gas sprayers, sonic dispersal devices, and net guns, it can withstand impacts of up to four tons.
Meanwhile, factories are undergoing a revolution led by AI-driven machines.
Factory Workers
Factory floors are rapidly evolving as companies like Mercedes-Benz and Tesla deploy AI-powered robots—such as Apptronik’s Apollo and Tesla’s own Optimus—to take over tasks once performed by humans, from handling car parts to managing logistics.
"We have two Optimus robots at our Fremont factory performing tasks, taking batteries off the production line and placing them into shipping containers," Tesla CEO Elon Musk said during last summer’s shareholder meeting. "We actually have quite a few of these robots roaming around our Palo Alto office." Musk expects Tesla to have 1,000 Optimus robots in operation.
In early 2024, German automaker Mercedes-Benz partnered with Austin-based AI developer Apptronik to upgrade its assembly line robots with AI capabilities.
"We are exploring new possibilities for using robotic technology to support our skilled workforce," said Jörg Burzer, a member of the Mercedes-Benz board, in a statement. "This is a new area where we aim to understand the potential of robotics in automotive manufacturing."
It’s not just assembly lines utilizing robots for tasks once done by humans. In June 2024, Hyundai Motor Group introduced two service robots at its Seoul smart office—one designed to deliver items like coffee, and another for automated parking—marking a step toward integrating robots into everyday workplace operations.
"With DAL-e's comprehensive delivery services, our goal is to make Factorial Seongsu the first building to fully implement our integrated robotic solutions," said Dong Jin Hyun, vice president and head of Hyundai and Kia’s Robotics Lab, at the time.
Space Exploration
SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has expressed interest in deploying humanoid robots for space exploration to handle tasks too dangerous or demanding for human astronauts.
"On Earth, we sit atop a vast industrial pyramid that starts with mining various materials and goes through hundreds of refining steps," Musk said in an interview with Texas Senator Ted Cruz. "We grow food, trees, and use them to make things. You’d need to build all of that on Mars, and it’s a hostile environment."
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