Commentary: Robots beat us in table tennis and marathons – and soon, perhaps, in our jobs

Recent headlines trumpet robotic prowess: a humanoid robot conquering a half-marathon in Beijing at speeds surpassing elite human runners, and a table tennis robot besting professional players. While these achievements are undoubtedly impressive and serve as excellent marketing for the companies involved, dismissing them as mere PR would be a mistake. They are tangible demonstrations of cutting-edge robotics and the astonishing pace of innovation in the field.

These developments inevitably raise questions about the future of work. Are versatile, all-purpose robots poised to enter our lives sooner than anticipated? What will be the impact on the countless individuals employed in service roles, logistics, and maintenance?

However, a closer look at the current state of robotics research offers a reassuring perspective. The robots excelling in marathons or table tennis do not immediately translate to widespread job displacement. The specialized knowledge required for such feats is often highly specific and difficult to generalize or transfer to related fields. For instance, the expertise gained in perfecting a table tennis robot may not even be applicable to developing a badminton-playing automaton.

Furthermore, these projects underscore the immense complexity involved in robot development, even for highly specific tasks. Sony, for example, has dedicated six years and a significant team of researchers to optimize a single robotic arm for table tennis. This highlights that truly general-purpose robots capable of cooking, cleaning, and performing various repairs are still a distant prospect. Nevertheless, the technologies honed through these record-breaking endeavors—like ultra-fast sensors for table tennis or novel cooling systems for marathon runners—are undeniably fueling broader technological advancement.