Robot Acceptance Around the World
United Robotics conducted a survey of 8,000 people in the U.S., France, Canada, Italy, and Germany for Euronews Next. Highlights of the results include:
- 80% fear that overly sentient androids will take human jobs
- 71% believe they will take the role of humans in social interaction
- 60% are uncomfortable with androids and don’t want them to resemble people or to have human traits like limbs or a face
- 79% prefer machines that depend on humans to function and learn (63%)
- They overwhelmingly rejected the use of robots to develop AI by 65.%
- In the U.S., 51% are in favor of introducing robots in primary schools and nurseries, while 68% in Canada, Italy, France, and Germany reject it
Were people accepting at all? Yes, in the industrial, digital, and health research sectors, particularly for studying viruses and DNA. They are also welcome in farming, transportation, space, and seabed exploration segments.
“Robots like uMobileLab and Kevin in the lab space respond to a workforce challenge and reduce the risk of having ‘off periods’ due to staffing challenges – teams on site can focus on analytics and results-driven work rather than pipetting, lab automation or even back-and-forth deliveries.”
France is the most skeptical country, with 28% feeling negatively about it. The U.S. is the most polarized, with 33% positive and 25% negative. Italy is the most optimistic, with 34% believing robots will bring more benefits to society.
