The ambitious Alphabet company, an umbrella organization that houses Google and all of its offshoots, has been creating new ways to automate processes using artificial intelligence (AI) since its inception in 2015. Now, the company has revealed that it’s using some of those same machines to clean up around its own offices! The news comes via Bloomberg, which got an exclusive look at one of Alphabet’s prototype robots named Brooke in action at Google’s campus in Mountain View, California.
Quick Overview
Alphabet Inc. (Google’s parent company) is using a team of robots to clean up around its Mountain View, Calif., office. The robots use artificial intelligence (AI) and deep learning software to clean. One such robot is being put to work in an on-campus café ; it uses AI to determine where tables need dusting and then puts chairs back in place once it has finished tidying. It was also recently announced that Alphabet subsidiary DeepMind will partner a Hospital on a pilot project that uses AI algorithms to help doctors diagnose eye disease.
How it works?
A.I.-powered navigation and obstacle avoidance software enables a compact, self-driving robot that has been built from scratch by Google. The company hasn’t disclosed many details about these prototypes beyond that they can navigate using standard collision-avoidance sensors like lidar and cameras, as well as advanced computer vision techniques. They navigate autonomously but have a remote control stop/start function in case of emergencies or if an operator needs to take over. The rover comes equipped with a number of attachments for performing different jobs including floor scrubbing, window washing, and carrying objects through tight spaces.
Will it take away the jobs of people?
According to Alphabet : “It doesn’t replace any human jobs because we think it will just get better and better, so there will be more and more work for humans to do—there won’t be less”. However, eventually these machines could become intelligent enough to negotiate with their human coworkers. And if that happens, a whole host of new problems emerge.
