Technology is transforming our world and every facet of our lives. I have been reading about Baxter, an industrial robot recently launched in the US. Baxter belongs to a new generation of robots which are safer to operate, more flexible in the tasks they can do, and more easily “taught” new skills. Baxter can also sense its environment, e.g. whether it has bumped against somebody or something, and adapt intelligently to it (http://econ.st/UwDSaM).
In Japan, a team is developing an artificial intelligence system, running on a single laptop computer, that can pass the University of Tokyo’s stringent entrance exam. Such a system can do work in many industries. (http://bit.ly/P2JcAk)
Driverless cars already exist (Google has tested prototypes extensively). Last week, California passed a bill to license such cars to drive on public roads. (http://yhoo.it/SjUSiz)
IT and robotics will revolutionise industries and jobs (take a look at the video “The Robot Factory Future” in http://nyti.ms/SDtGwu). Singapore should thrive in this new world. We are one of the most wired countries and Singaporeans are tech-savvy. But Singaporeans must master the skills and the technology, and keep upgrading ourselves. Let us make sure that we exploit the robots and IT, and not get displaced by them. – LHL
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