I'm heading up to Ithaca this morning to keynote about AI at the Food Executive Program at Cornell University. My talk will focus on how the grocery business can leverage AI to improve margins and customer experiences. This is going to be fun!
In the news: Can an army of C-3PO-inspired humanoid robots reduce global labor shortages? Tesla, Amazon, Microsoft, and Nvidia all think that's how the future will unfold.
Proponents envision humanoid robots working alongside humans in homes and offices. Elon Musk claims Tesla's Optimus robot could "transform the world" even more than cars, potentially driving the company's value to $25 trillion.
Goldman Sachs projects the humanoid robot market to reach $38 billion in the next two decades, positioning robots as essential for manufacturing, dangerous work, and elder care. Recent advancements in AI (particularly LLMs like those powering ChatGPT) are supercharging robots' capabilities in interpreting commands and making decisions.
Is there a global labor shortage? The numbers say there is. In the U.S. alone, there are 8.5 million unfilled jobs, with manufacturing facing a particularly acute shortage. Advocates argue robots can fill monotonous and dangerous roles where human workers are scarce.
China leads the race, accounting for more than half of global industrial robot installations. Western companies are playing catch-up, with Amazon's backing of Agility Robotics' Digit robots standing out.
Despite the hype – and billions invested – mass adoption is likely years away. That said, the development of humanoid robots is worth watching. I keep thinking about that scene in the movie "I, Robot" with all the NS-5 robots walking dogs and carrying packages for people. We may never get there, but even a small percentage of humanoid robots in the workplace will reshape our relationship with technology.
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ABOUT SHELLY PALMER
Shelly Palmer is the Professor of Advanced Media in Residence at Syracuse University’s S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications and CEO of The Palmer Group, a consulting practice that helps Fortune 500 companies with technology, media and marketing. Named he covers tech and business for , is a regular commentator on CNN and writes a popular . He's a , and the creator of the popular, free online course, . Follow or visit .
