1 crucial human trait robots can't replace in the workforce

There's a special bond that's forged by the vulnerability of sitting -- dripping wet -- as a hairdresser snips and shears your wayward locks. A trusted hairdresser or barber has the power to make or break your day -- even month -- with a few flourishes, all while deftly discussing everything from politics to family gossip. Service robots have already come for our grocery stores and construction sites, and now a new hair brushing robot designed by engineers at MIT could be the first step toward automating hairdressers as well. While robots and algorithms may outdo humans when it comes to efficiency, Michelle Shell, a visiting professor of operations and technology management at Boston University whose research focuses on humans' emotional response to technology, tells Inverse that automating these very human jobs could have repercussions not only for customers, but employees as well. Built like a bodybuilder, the thick robotic arm of RoboWig is adorned by a tiny, delicate hairbrush that is designed to sweep gently through users' hair -- at least in theory.