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| © MasterCard/SoftBank Robotics |
From Lovemoney
Not too long ago you might have dismissed the idea of a robot stealing your job as the stuff of science fiction. Not anymore. Companies are increasingly using automatons in place of people and experts predict machines will take over the majority of roles within the next 30 years. Here are 30 major firms that have already started replacing their workforce with robots. Click or swipe through to see them all.
Not too long ago you might have dismissed the idea of a robot stealing your job as the stuff of science fiction. Not anymore. Companies are increasingly using automatons in place of people and experts predict machines will take over the majority of roles within the next 30 years. Here are 30 major firms that have already started replacing their workforce with robots. Click or swipe through to see them all.
Amazon
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| © Justin Sullivan/Getty |
The e-commerce giant snapped up Kiva Robotics in 2012 for a staggering $755 million. Amazon now has 30,000 fulfillment robots working in its warehouses worldwide and the company is expected to replace all employees who perform repetitive tasks with machines in the not too distant future.
CIG
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| © Asharkyu/Shutterstock |
Cambridge Industries Group (CIG) is one of China's leading suppliers of telecoms equipment. Big on automation, the Shanghai-based firm is in the process of replacing two-thirds of its 3,000-strong human workforce with robots, eventually creating energy efficient 'dark factories' where robots toil away in pitch-black darkness.
Uber
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| © Gene J. Puskar/PA |
The ride-sharing app has tested self-driving cars on the roads of San Francisco, despite running into regulatory difficulties with the US Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV). The ultimate goal? Uber is aiming to replace all human drivers with robots.
Walmart
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| © Gualtiero Boffi/Shutterstock |
Walmart is testing warehouse drones that fly around its distribution centers monitoring inventory levels and flagging up low stock or missing items. Super-efficient, the flying bots can do a full stock check in under a day, a task that would normally take human staff an entire month.
Carrier
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| © Asharkyu/Shutterstock |
The air conditioning firm hit the headlines in 2016 when President Trump brokered a deal to keep Carrier jobs in the US. While 800 American jobs were saved, a significant proportion of those roles will be taken over by robots as the company embraces automation.
Nestle
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| © Courtesy Nestle |
Nestle uses SoftBank's Pepper robots to sell Dolce Gusto coffee pods and machines in department stores in Japan, as well as answer customer queries. More than just a gimmick, the robots have been rolled out to 1,000 stores in the country.
SNCF
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| © Loic Venance/Getty |
France's state-owned rail company is also trialing SoftBank's Pepper robots. The droids, which offer train info and answer customer queries, have been tested at several stations.
Pizza Hut
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| © Pizza Hut/Yum China Holdings |
On top of that, Pizza Hut opened a concept store in Shanghai called ph+ that boasts two robot waiters. The friendly droids welcome diners, show them to their seats, take orders and deliver drinks. It has also used Pepper the robot waiter at a restaurant in Singapore.
Ocado
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| © Courtesy Ocado |
British online supermarket Ocado already uses more than a thousand 4G-enabled robots in its automated warehouses, and the company is working with four leading universities to develop a humanoid robot that can assist its in-house technicians with tricky maintenance jobs.
Just Eat
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| © Courtesy Just Eat |
In 2017, online delivery service Just Eat starting using robots to deliver food in North Greenwich, London. The self-driving robots, which have been engineered by Anglo-Estonian company Starship Technologies, are fitted with GPS and cameras to navigate the capital's thoroughfares.
Chipotle
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| © Courtesy Alphabet Inc |
Chipotle teamed up with Google's parent company Alphabet to test a groundbreaking drone-delivery service to students and staff at Virginia Tech's campus. Alphabet drones dropped Chipotle burritos at designated delivery points around the campus.
Everwin Precision Technology
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| © Courtesy Everwin Precision Technology |
Taking automation to the extreme, China's Everwin Precision Technology is in the process of replacing 90% of its factory workforce with robots. The company, which produces electronic components, is in the vanguard of the robot revolution in China.
Zara
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| © Pierre Philippe Marcou/Getty |
Zara's parent company Inditex operates 14 automated factories in Spain staffed by scores of robots that do everything from cutting patterns to dying fabric. The machines work so fast, Zara can get a product from the design stage to the sales floor in as little as 10 days.
