Elizabeth Croft and student making adjustments to “Charlie”.
Following the release of the new Blade Runner movie, MECH professor and Director of the the Collaborative Advanced Robotics and Intelligent Systems Lab (CARIS), Elizabeth Croft gave a short interview with CBC on the future of robotics. In her interview, Croft discusses how to maintain a friendly relationship between robots and humans, especially amid worries that automation means a decline in “human” jobs. The key, she says, is not to lament the loss of low-wage jobs, but embrace how this shift will help to maintain an overall better standard of living and create more “good quality, complex and interesting jobs.” This in turn, will lead to increased Canadian productivity as labour is focused in more complex, higher-value jobs.
The article also explores Canada’s unique stance in the worldwide discussion on roboethics and the current work of Canadian companies that specialize in human robot interaction.
You can read the full article here: These Canadians are helping the world become replicant ready
Dr. Croft was also interviewed by Inc. discussing the ways robots and humans can communicate and work together efficiently. Read the full article here: Yes, the Robots Are Coming for Your Jobs. Here’s How to Work With Them.