45 - Intelligent Industrial and Service Robots

Summary

With technological advancements occurring at a rapid pace in the field of computers, robotics, and artificial intelligence, major changes have taken place in the robotics industry. These changes have led to what some have termed the “robotics revolution” that has had a major impact on social organizations, the economy, and as discussed within this chapter, human rights for industry and service workers. The emergence of AI-enabled robotics has begun to change the world in major ways challenging the law within nation states and also internationally among nations. In that context, the use of intelligent service and industrial robots has broad applications for the large and small industries that use robots as a source of labor. For example, intelligent service robots are used in the fields of healthcare and medicine, transportation, and for care of the elderly and children. Further, police and security services also use robots for crowd control and for surveillance purposes. However, while developments in robotics have provided numerous benefits to society, they have also brought forth many issues that challenge social, moral, and professional norms within society. As a result, the ever-increasing growth and development of robotic technology in various industries is challenging current legal schemes in fundamental ways, one of which is human rights law. As an example, the use of industrial and service robots can lead to employment insecurity, threats to the health and safety of workers, and privacy concerns. Further, the use of robots in industry and for the delivery of services can be inconsistent with other human rights such as the right to health and safety, the right to equality of opportunity, the right to employment and fair working conditions, the right to life, the right to association, prohibition against discrimination, and equality, which are all supported in international and regional human rights documents.