62 percent of employees in the UK welcome AI services like ChatGPT to help them make the right decision at the workplace. A big majority of 78 percent though wants such digital tools to be instantly recognizable as machines. These are results of the automatica trend index 2023. For the study, 1,000 employees were surveyed in the UK on behalf of the leading trade fair for smart automation and robotics “automatica” (June 27 – June 30 in Munich, Germany).
“Robotics and Artificial Intelligence software like ChatGPT rapidly shape the workplace of the future. If we get the use of these technologies right, we can vastly improve workplaces,” says Patrick Schwarzkopf, advisory board member of automatica at Messe Munich in Germany.
As machines and humans interact more closely, people in the UK advocate for a human-in-command approach. 77 percent say the use of digital technology needs to leave control to people. This is in line with the ‘Good Work Charter’ of the European Robotics Industry, a guideline for introducing robotics and automation in a way that puts the human in the center.”
The UK is facing a massive labor shortage. The manufacturing industry needs to invest in automation technology to keep up with international competitors: There are only 111 robots per 10,000 employees operating in British factories. This is below the global average of 141 units and well behind countries like Germany (397 units), China (322 units) or the US (274 units), the International Federation of Robotics reports. 70 percent of people think that robots help manufacturers to deal with the lack of factory workers. The majority embraces the benefits smart machines can provide: 77 percent welcome robots in a factory, taking on harmful work like lifting heavy loads or dangerous tasks involving hazardous materials e.g. chemicals.
“We need to actively manage the transition to good collaboration between machines and humans, making sure that people are not left behind,” says Patrick Schwarzkopf. “How the workplace of the future will evolve is one of the key topics at the world´s leading exhibition for smart automation and robotics ‘automatica 2023’ June 27 – June 30 in Munich, Germany.
