- Report finds that public support for workplace robots is growing – especially for physical or dangerous tasks
- Willingness to accept a robot inside the home grows with real-life exposure
- Knowledge and clear leadership are essential to overcoming public fear
Technological capabilities may no longer be the limiting factor when it comes to how and where robots can be deployed, with new Hexagon research revealing that public support isn’t always there.
The company found that much of the public is becoming more accepting of robots in the workplace, but only where they are used for practical, physical or dangerous jobs.
However, roles that require empathy, judgment or human interaction are still where support is low.
Robots are most accepted in practical work situations
For example, more than half (56%) of the over 1,000 UK adults surveyed said they would accept robots to lift and transport heavy objects. Transport and delivery of items (38%) and monitoring hazards and hazardous environments (34%) also received fair support.
With airports, some supermarkets and other public places now using robots, 31% would even support their use for cleaning communal spaces.
Although the research does not provide detailed information by age group, the company surveyed an equal number of UK children to reveal that heavy lifting, carrying and delivery is even more accepted among under-18s.
But while repetitive physical work is generally well accepted, 82% of UK adults want people to care for sick, elderly and young people.
Only 5% say they would choose a robot caregiver, making this the lowest support for any of the tasks included in the report. Even children seem reluctant to have non-human personal interactions, with 79% preferring human caregivers and 8% willing to choose a robot instead.
But Hexagon Technology Ethicist Dr. Blay Whitby argues that simple rewording could skew these numbers: “Ask people if they want to be looked after by a robot and most say no… Ask if the technology will help them remain independent in their own home for longer and most say yes.”
Lecturer in moral psychology Dr. Jim Everett sees robots more as “aids” in nursing homes and classrooms, rather than human replacements.
Exposure can drastically change public perception
For now, the public still sees robots as industrial automation roles. More than half agree that their natural homes are factories (53%) and warehouses (53%) – fewer consider them at home in hospitals and clinics (34%) or classrooms (30%).
Fear of the unknown could be another blocker, with only 28% of UK adults thinking it would be exciting to have a robot colleague – almost half (46%) saying it would be scary. Humanoid forms are clearly unsettling, with twice as many preferring machine-like robots (27%) compared to human-like robots (14%).
Sci-fi fears of robots taking over can also influence public perception. Almost all UK adults (88%) want clear rules on what robots can do.
“Industrial environments are where the tasks for robots are most defined, the safety cases are mature and governance is publicly visible,” concluded Hexagon CTO Burkhard Boeckem.
Global comparisons support the fear of the unknown theory – while 30% of UK adults have encountered robots in real life, 75% have done so in China. A country almost twice as likely (63%) to accept robots in the home compared to the UK (32%).
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