I am now curious on your opinions about the actual capabilities these robots could have in the future and whether they could render human labor obsolete. Because it is actually a real fear I have of the future.
They could become let's say 90% human-capable... it's that last 10% that will make it extremely expensive (you'll have to create some special environment for them to operate) or impossible to fully replace humans. Think of self-driving cars and how overhyped it's been for the last 10-15 years and still the best current implementations are geofenced and buggy. Probably not even 90% there yet. And that's just one of many human activities.
Corporations, specially the big ones in Europe and the United States are all in saving operating costs, and if they need to replace human beings for the sake of profit, I have no doubt they will start doing it as soon as it becomes cheaper to have those machines instead of a team of people working for them.
Again, automation has been very successfully replacing humans for a long time, just not with humanoid robots, and that will continue. I don't think we're anywhere near the point where the remaining non-automated tasks absolutely require an upright 6 ft tall robot, with two legs, two arms, and all other humanoid attributes... I don't think we'll ever get there.
Also, there are people calling for regulation on the use of this technology to protect the jobs of people, but those in favor or full automation say government should not get in the way technological innovation.
Are we going to reach a point where people will start to replace human interaction and human contact with these machines? That kind of scares me.
Wasn't "AI" supposed to do that?
Luckily it sucks so badly that no sane person would choose it over actual human interaction.
Well, I still believe you are being quite optimistic on where all this situation with automation and Artificial intelligence is going, to be honest.
Even if there is a limit in which human labor can be successfully replaced by robots and machines in general, I am afraid greed will fuel technology until reaching that point, still leading widespread unemployment.
Some people think automation and AI is completely harmless and it will help humanity to focus on advancing on other branches which have nothing to do with manual labor, the classical scenario of machines doing all the unwanted work and human being left to enjoy the wealth created, that is rather an ideal scenario and I am sure it won't happen.
Some jobs won't get replaced, perhaps those related to engineering and processes of maintenance for the new supply chains and AIs. Not even mentioning the costs of studying those professions are going to skyrocket to even higher levels in the developed world, because of supply and demand.