Why are many large companies now choosing to use robots instead of manual labor?

Robotics has made great progress in the past few decades and has gradually moved towards commercialization and industrialization. In many fields, their application has made progress and achieved results. Many people are worried that with the development of robotics, they can replace human labor and become the protagonist of our social productivity. In fact, this is a complex and controversial issue, considering the advantages, disadvantages, limitations and relationship between robotics and human labor. First of all, robots have certain advantages that may far exceed human labor. For example, robots can undertake some repetitive, monotonous or dangerous tasks, they can provide continuous benefits and are not affected by fatigue, muscle pain and other health problems.

In addition, robots can also be competent when tasks need to be performed quickly and with high quality. In some fields, the development and application of robotics may lead to the loss and replacement of manual employment. For example, in the manufacturing industry, many traditional factory laborers have been replaced by industrial robots or automated equipment. Similarly, in service industries, such as restaurants or stores, self-service checkout and ordering machines have become common, replacing the roles of human cashiers or waiters. However, it is inaccurate and impractical to generalize whether robots can replace human labor. Because robots and personnel have their own technologies and limitations, their applications in different fields are also very different. First, robotics technology is generally limited to performing prescribed work, production or service processes. They need to perform specific tasks in a pre-programmed manner, which is different from the creativity, flexibility and judgment of human labor.

Although humans may make mistakes when performing special tasks and dealing with complex environments, it is this kind of mistakes and creative performance that determines human productivity and innovation. Secondly, robots need to adapt to specific environmental conditions and technical applications. For example, robots may encounter more difficulties and limitations in small and uneven workplaces; robots are also relatively poor in service areas that require intuitive judgment and negotiation. In addition, even in areas where robots can complete certain tasks, cooperation and coordination between humans and robots are still inevitable, such as robotic arms and doctors' guidance in surgery. Compared with the wisdom and judgment possessed by humans, robotics technology has many technical and ethical limitations. Although robots can simulate the performance of artificial intelligence in certain tasks, their decisions and actions rely on constraints and procedures set by humans. Artificial intelligence cannot replace the decision-making power and ethical judgment possessed by humans, such as how to deal with the mistakes and responsibilities of artificial intelligence morally and legally.

In summary, the progress and application of robotics technology are unstoppable, and robots have won their status and value in some fields. However, whether robots can replace human labor is still a controversial and subjective issue. In the future social and labor relations, robots and artificiality need to work together to better meet human needs and interests. Only when human needs and interests are in the middle can robotics become a booster for our social progress.