Hollywood and science fiction writers have been obsessed for years with the idea of robots replacing humans. And now, it seems like Elon Musk found inspiration in the crazy utopian reality presented in Transformers or I, Robot as he is planning “to have thousands of Humanoid Robots within its factories,” according to Electrek.

To be fair, major companies have used robots for decades in manufacturing. Back in 1954, George Devol filled the first industrial robot patent. His robot had a 12-foot or shorter range for moving objects. Since then, we’ve come a long way, and now, industrial robots are widely employed in various sectors. Nevertheless, what makes Musk's plan so frightening is the use of “humanoid robots.”

According to Fortune, Tesla will introduce Optimus, their humanoid robot, for the first time on September 30 after debuting it in August 2021 during Tesla's A.I. Day. Also, Tesla has set its sight beyond self-driving vehicles, and now, it wants to build and design commercially viable human-like robots, which can do more than “repetitive tasks” and become a "buddy" or a "catgirl" sex partner, Reuters reports.

Related: 10 Reasons Why I, Robot Made Us Excited About The Future Of Driving

Tesla’s Factory Humanoid Robots: The Automotive Industry Needs Them

Tesla Robot

Since the Great Resignation, companies around the country are trying to cope with labor and skill shortages. In the automotive industry alone, businesses are complaining about the shortcomings in the hiring process. And while the COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the trend, the problem has existed for years. As training and upskilling workers is an expensive process, automakers have turned towards robots to solve the problem. Robots are versatile and can do far more than the boring, repetitive tasks that workers dread.

They can also work long hours without breaks and interruptions, and are more efficient and productive than regular workers. Furthermore, they don’t complain about grueling work conditions, low wages, or unsafe environments. Did we also mention that robots do not demand profit-sharing checks? It goes without saying that businesses increase productivity and efficiency while saving money with robots.

Factory Humanoid Robots: Other Automakers Are Also Developing Theirs

Shakey the Robot2
Via NewAtlas

“Basically, if you think about what we’re doing right now with cars, Tesla is arguably the world’s biggest robotics company because our cars are like semisentient robots on wheels,” said Elon Musk. But despite Musk’s bragging rights, Tesla is hardly the only automaker that is trying to solve industry problems with automation and robotics.

In fact, Reuters highlights other companies that are experimenting with robots. Honda, for example, is building disaster relief robots and "Avatar" robots for tasks like remote surgery. On the other hand, GM was ahead of the curve and began working with NASA in 2007 to create humanoid robots called R2 for space research. Furthermore, Hyundai and Boston Dynamics announced a $400 million investment in a "research-first organization" on AI and robotics.

Related: Ford Using Four-Legged Robot Dogs As Factory Helpers

These Are The Risks Associated With Humanoid Robots

Robot And Virtual Monitor
Via Infoworld

Electrek reported that Tesla will employ the Optimus robots to work in its plants. According to a job listing for Motion Planning & Navigation, Tesla Bot, Tesla writes that it intends to utilize “thousands of Humanoid Robots within its factories.” As mentioned earlier, this will help with the labor shortage in the industry. However, there are various risks associated with humanoid robots, so it’s not all sunshine and rainbows.

First, businesses like Tesla should expect some pushback from existing workers, who will see the existence of humanoid robots as a threat to their own job security. It might be that widespread fear would push workers to unionize. It’s worth noting that the United Auto Workers union is already making preparations for the shift in the automotive sector to electric vehicles, and they have the support of President Biden. As such, it is not unreasonable to think that the same labor organization would oppose the widespread employment of robots in the workplace. Secondly, there is no assurance that automakers will guarantee the safety of employees at every stage of the interaction between humans and robots.

“We want robots to operate in our human world, but they need to be safe,” Chris Melhuish of the Bristol Robotics Laboratory told the New Scientist. “It’s not good if they fall over a 2-year-old or poke someone in the eye.”

As a note of caution, automakers shouldn’t forget that in 2015, a stationary robot killed a worker at a Volkswagen production facility in Baunatal, Germany. The 22-year-old worker was setting up the stationary robot when it grabbed and slammed him into a metal plate, according to The Guardian. Unfortunately, the young worker couldn't be saved, and he died from the impact.

Meanwhile, experts have criticized Tesla’s autopilot for using artificial intelligence algorithms that are far from flawless, which have caused numerous road accidents.