Are we ready for robots and AI?

Automation and industrial robots have been in the manufacturing and related industries for decades, with the usage prevalent in shop floors and assembly lines. In 2008, a firm called Kiva Systems invented suitcase-like machines that would park underneath racks and move them around in the warehouse. Raffaello D' Andrea, the co-founder of Kiva, said: "You don't have to walk over to the shelves to get things -- the shelves come to you." Amazon acquired Kiva Systems four years later to obtain the technology to sort, organise and transport Amazon's massive inventory. Without a doubt, technology has reduced the need for human labour, especially in manual and routine tasks. It has largely done its job -- simplifying tasks and minimising errors -- although at the expense of eliminating low-skilled factory workers.