Robot coworkers: We will soon team up with robots

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  Quantumrun Foresight
• February 14, 2022

Insight summary

As the integration of robots into the workforce deepens, a new era of human-robot collaboration across various sectors is emerging. These collaborations demand robots to be effective team players, capable of understanding and communicating with humans, while requiring a shift in humans' career progression towards roles that require critical thinking, decision making, and creativity. Furthermore, this transformation brings along wider implications, such as an increase in productivity, a shift in the nature of tasks performed by humans, and the emergence of new legal and social issues.

Robots enhance work context

Humans and robots are learning to work together more closely and intuitively. In the military, robots and soldiers are already teaming up. For example, soldiers on military missions use drones to do surveillance and robots to dispose of bombs. The US Army plans to increase human-robot teams in the future. Human-robot teams will also soon start working together in healthcare, agriculture, transportation, manufacturing, and space exploration.

While human-robot teams are inevitable, they won’t function optimally if the technologies are not designed to work effectively with real people. Likewise, robots will not naturally team up with humans. These machines will need to have specific roles and be able to understand the roles of their human team members. 

To function in teams with humans, robots will have to train with them to understand them properly. Robots will have to be able to communicate effectively with humans and prove to be dependable. In short, they should function as trustworthy and reliable team players alongside humans.

Disruptive impact 

In the long-term, the integration of robotic co-workers may bring significant changes to the structure and nature of professional development. Traditionally, employees' career progression has followed a somewhat linear path, from entry-level to more senior positions, often involving the mastery of a given task. However, as robots take over the repetitive and manual labor, the focus of human work may shift towards roles that involve critical thinking, decision making, and creativity. This will demand a shift in how employees are trained and developed, emphasizing the acquisition of soft skills and problem-solving abilities.

On an organizational level, the introduction of robot co-workers can also have notable effects on a company's operational efficiency. As robots take on monotonous tasks, businesses could potentially reallocate human resources to areas that require more nuanced decision-making or customer interaction, improving overall efficiency. For example, a restaurant might use robots for cleaning and food preparation, allowing human staff to focus on enhancing the dining experience. Over time, this could create a ripple effect in industries, pushing companies to re-evaluate their business models and focus more on value-adding services or unique selling propositions that machines cannot replicate.

Meanwhile, governments will need to address the complex issues arising from this shift. For example, they might need to create new regulations to ensure safety and ethics in a mixed human-robot workforce, or revamp educational curriculums to better equip students for a future where working alongside robots is common. There's also a pressing need to address possible social issues, such as income inequality, as those who can't adapt to the changing job market may be left behind. 

Implications of robot coworkers

Wider implications of robot coworkers may include: 

• Productivity rising and the cost of production falling, enabling companies to expand and possibly employ more people in different roles than before.


• Workers being relieved of repetitive and other tedious tasks to concentrate on more creative and mentally challenging tasks.


• Shortened workweek and people having more free time to follow their interests and do volunteer work.


• The creation of new industries and job roles to manage, maintain, and improve robotic workers.


• The need for new legal frameworks to determine liability and responsibility in cases where tasks completed by robots lead to damages or harm.


• An increase in remote work opportunities as physical labor becomes less essential and more tasks can be completed digitally or by robots.


• A significant reduction in workplace injuries and related costs as dangerous tasks are offloaded to robotic coworkers.


• Greater energy and resource efficiency in businesses, as robots can often perform tasks using less energy or material than humans.

Questions to consider

• Can a robot replace one of your team members?


• What part of your work could be taken over by a robot?