Link to article: https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/east-asia/demand-for-service-robots-set-to-explode-in-china-in-aftermath-of-covid-19-pandemic
As countries begin to reopen their economies, businesses are forced to staff their storefronts and warehouses while still following safety precautions. For employees, returning to work means extra risk. For employers, human workers add extra variables that complicate exposure response plans, and costly safety measures coupled with low patronage means smaller profit margins.
A Chinese tech company claims to have the solution to these problems in the form of a service robot. OrionStar has already developed a number of robots, most of which are suited for industrial use. However, when creating its barista robot, the company discovered a market for a safe and cost effective alternative to human labor in the service industry.
OrionStar has since developed other robots, such as one that greets customers in the mall and one that delivers meals to hotel rooms. The company’s vice president, Su Liang, believes that sales for their robots will increase exponentially in the wake of the pandemic.
This announcement also addresses the rising cost of labor in China. Companies are attempting to economize their expenses while facing a recession. Higher wages may act as an incentive to favor robot services over increasingly expensive human labor.
Many companies, worldwide, have begun to move away from human labor in an effort to cut costs and streamline production. Across all industries, the introduction of robots to the workplace is happening on a widespread scale. After all, robots do not need healthcare, sick leave, or a salary.
Those who oppose robot integration worry that certain jobs will become obsolete. However, it is more likely that jobs will simply become reimagined to fit new economic needs.
Moreover, no sudden change in human labor will occur, as some might believe. Instead, a steady shift will slowly increase robots’ place in the workforce. As technology continues to advance, robot presence is inevitable. One cannot be determined if the pros outweigh the cons, but the occurrence of it is irrefutable.
OrionStar, the robotics company, was founded in 2016. The company is a MNC based in Beijing. OrionStar does business in Silicon Valley, Japan, and Taiwan to name a few places. The company holds a personal stake in tariffs and taxes, because they directly affect their profits and prices. Therefore, the tech company’s influence bypasses the borders of its headquarters, and OrionStar involves itself with international trade.