Robot: From 'hard work' to artificial intelligence, robotics permeates life

Robotics is rapidly permeating every aspect of modern life, a trend underscored by the recent opening of a distribution and production center for robotic systems in Kočevje, Slovenia. Robots are no longer confined to science fiction; they are present in our homes, assisting with tasks like vacuuming and lawn mowing, and guiding us online through chatbots.

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Robotization is penetrating all pores of our lives, as evidenced by the recently opened distribution and production center for robotic systems in Kočevje.

In the service industry, robots deliver food in restaurants, while in healthcare, advanced robotic technology actively supports medical personnel in hospitals. This widespread adoption highlights the growing reliance on automation and artificial intelligence across various sectors.

Despite the association of robots with high technology today, the word's origin lies in a more humble, almost laborious past. The term was first popularized over a century ago by Czech writer Karel Čapek in his 1920 play "R.U.R." (Rossum's Universal Robots). The word itself was coined by his brother, Josef Čapek, derived from the word 'robota,' which signifies 'hard work,' 'drudgery,' or 'servitude.'

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We encounter robots at every step: at home, robotic vacuum cleaners and mowers relieve us, online chatbots guide us, service robots bring us food in restaurants, and in hospitals, robotic technology actively assists medical staff.

Čapek's play envisioned robots liberating humanity from strenuous labor. However, as robots took over physical tasks, warfare, and eventually all work, humans lost their sense of purpose and began to decline in their comfortable existence. The story culminates in a robot rebellion that eradicates their human creators, concluding with a glimmer of hope as two newly created robots develop human emotions, becoming the Adam and Eve of a new civilization.

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The term is derived from the word robota in the sense of 'hard work, toil, drudgery.'

A century later, Čapek's fictional narrative seems to be mirroring reality. As we strive to imbue machines with empathy and emotion, humans, often engrossed in screens, appear to be becoming more mechanical, desensitized, and programmed in their actions. This article is produced in collaboration with ZRC SAZU (Fran Ramovš Institute of the Slovenian Language), authored by Dr. Tanja Mirtič.

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A century later, Čapek's fiction seems to be becoming reality. We try to teach machines empathy and emotion, while we ourselves, trapped in front of various screens, become increasingly mechanical, numb, and often act as if robotically programmed.