How AI could enable autonomous robot workers in workplaces, and maybe homes
In a world where self-driving robotaxis glide through major city streets without drivers behind the wheel and delivery drones autonomously fly through the skies to drop off orders at customers’ homes, the idea of general-purpose robots helping humans with various tasks in workplaces or even homes may not seem far-fetched. But that future hinges on developing increasingly autonomous robots powered by modern artificial intelligence—an ambitious vision that has motivated many researchers to become
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Autonomous robots powered by AI could eventually perform a wide variety of tasks independently in workplaces and homes, moving beyond today's industrial robots that perform repetitive motions in controlled factory environments. Recent advances in AI, including reinforcement learning and large foundation models trained on massive amounts of data, have expanded what robots can accomplish without direct human supervision, allowing them to understand sequences of activities and adapt to unpredictable environments. The International Standards Organization defines robot autonomy as the ability to perform intended tasks based on current state and sensing without human intervention. Multiple research labs and companies are racing to develop general-purpose robots that could handle diverse tasks in complex, unstructured settings, though these robots may take various forms suited to their specific purposes rather than resembling humanoids.
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