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Axios
27-05-2025
- Business
- Axios
Robot industry split over that humanoid look
Advanced robots don't necessarily need to look like C3PO from Star Wars or George Jetson's maid Rosie, despite all the hype over humanoids from Wall Street and Big Tech. In fact, some of the biggest skeptics about human-shaped robots come from within the robotics industry itself. Why it matters: Robots are meant to take over dirty, dangerous and dull tasks — not to replace humans, who are still the most sophisticated machines of all. The big picture: Morgan Stanley believes there's a $4.7 trillion market for humanoids like Tesla's Optimus over the next 25 years — most of them in industrial settings, but also as companions or housekeepers for the wealthy. Yes, but: The most productive — and profitable — bots are the ones that can do single tasks cheaply and efficiently. "If you look at where robots are really bringing value in a manufacturing environment, it is combining industrial or collaborative robots with mobility," ABB Managing Director Ali Raja tells Axios. "I don't see that there are any real practical applications where humanoids are bringing in a lot of value." What they're saying:"The reason we have two legs is because whether Darwin or God or whoever made us, we have to figure out how to traverse an infinite number of things," like climbing a mountain or riding a bike, explains Michael Cicco, president and CEO of Fanuc America Corporation. "When you get into the factory, even if it's a million things, it's still a finite number of things that you need to do." Human-shaped robots are over-engineered solutions to most factory chores that could be better solved by putting a robot arm on a wheeled base, he said. The other side: " The thing about humanoids is not that it's a human factor. It's that it's more dynamically stable," counters Melonee Wise, chief product officer at Agility Robotics, which is developing a humanoid robot called Digit. When humans grab something heavy, they can shift their weight for better balance. The same is true for a humanoid, she said. Using a robotic arm on a mobile base to pick up something heavy, "it's like I'm a little teapot and you become very unstable," she said, bending at the waist.
Yahoo
20-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Customers Are NOT Happy About This Major Wendy's Drive-Thru Change
We might not be living on space stations quite yet but the similarities between our world and George Jetson's are growing. With the advent of artificial intelligence (AI), more and more companies are getting on board with the smart technology to streamline services and, purportedly, get things done quicker. One of the latest companies to hop on the AI bandwagon? Wendy's. Last week, during a quarterly earnings call, CEO Kirk Tanner announced that Wendy's would be bringing voice-enabled AI order-taking to up to 600 restaurants across the country. After finding success in a pilot program that was incorporated into almost 100 restaurants, the chain decided to go ahead and roll out its "FreshAI" on a larger scale. While Tanner notes that the system is continually improving and will help to make labor and customer experience more efficient, customers aren't entirely on board. "Had this happen at Taco Bell a few days ago. Had to ask for a real person because the damn thing couldn't understand me," commented one user on Reddit. "I don't like them cutting costs without passing on savings," wrote another. "Welp time to not eat at Wendys anymore," one customer lamented. However, not everyone was opposed to the use of AI at the drive-thru. "Sad to say this but AI drive-thru is way better than with real people," one outlier wrote. It will be interesting to see how people react to a more nationwide rollout. After experimenting with AI voice ordering over the course of two years, McDonald's finally called it quits mid-2024 due to some "chaotic" outcomes. In a time when people are craving human interaction, it's unclear whether other chains implementing AI at the drive-thru will move us forward or put us all over the edge. You Might Also Like Insanely Easy Weeknight Dinners To Try This Week 29 Insanely Delicious Vodka Cocktails
