Alerts Insight, Week of 3/18: What Will the Emergence of Humanoid Robots on Factory Floors Mean for Manufacturing – and for Labor?

In our latest Alert Insight post, we share an alert our system generated last week that would be relevant to anyone watching the #AI#robotics and #automotive sectors.

This alert was on Mercedes-Benz: on March 15 at 10am EDT, we learned from William Gavin of Quartz News Magazine that Mercedes-Benz was testing humanoid robots from Apptronik in one plant as it faced difficulties finding “reliable workers”. This is believed to be one of the first cases of a humanoid robot used on the factory floor.

The introduction of humanoid robots into manufacturing processes is powered by rapid simultaneous progress in robotics and in AI. Some car manufacturers such as Hyundai, owner of Boston Dynamics, or Tesla, with its Optimus humanoid, are manufacturing these robots themselves.

Others, such as BMW with Figure and Mercedes-Benz with Apptronik, will rely on third-party vendors to provide them with these robots.

At a time where car manufacturing costs are under pressure, the introduction of cheap, “reliable workers” on the factory floor is a matter of survival for car companies. The recent UAW deal with Ford might prove to be a Pyrrhic victory for the Union. We previously posted about Ford and the UAW here: https://lnkd.in/eHAsA5-T

Gavin’s article was updated on Friday. Read it here: https://lnkd.in/erSvQFMp

Causality Link has brought together causal, neurosymbolic and generative AI to detect market-moving trends – right as they emerge. Visit https://lnkd.in/eSviGJXU for a custom demo to learn more about how our tools can enhance your workflows, help you capture alpha and stay informed about the world around you.

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