AI & Robotics

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The sector is about to be transformed by 5G. Telecommunications providers have dedicated a substantial portion of their exhibits at the Mobile World Congress to sharing actual use cases of the new network with guests. For example, Orange has made it possible to operate racing cars in Paris in real-time and with little latency while holding a Samsung Galaxy Fold smartphone. It was also possible to command a tiny submarine in Valencia's harbor.

Robotics has long been in industrial settings, but it has difficulty breaking into more social areas, such as hospitality and tourism. "It is critical to their success that we train robots to interact with users in the most humane manner possible. There is still much to be done", explains Oscar Garcia, Telefónica's Innovation Project Manager.

Xiaomi, which has grabbed much interest from guests with its Cyberdog at MWC, is another firm displaying robots in its space. A device that costs just over 1,000 euros and is designed to allow developers to work on applications for this type of technology without digging too far into their budgets. "Robots have been with us for some time," the Asian corporation acknowledged to this publication, echoing Telefónica's prior statement, "but we have yet to uncover ways in which they can be handy for ordinary consumers."

Implications: Beyond the changes in industrial production that 5G, AI, and robotics may bring, this transition will impact the job market as well. While these companies' goal is to speed the complimentary cooperation between humans and machines, digitization is predicted to result in the loss of up to 85 million jobs globally (World Economic Forum, 2020). It will also be critical to address this issue to ensure that the industrial revolution is entirely inclusive.