Mercedes-Benz officially employs humanoid robots to work on assembly line
- Mercedes-Benz is adding new ‘workers’ to their roster
- The latest hire is a robot called ‘Apollo’
- Apollo will have to do ‘low-skill’ menial and repetitive tasks
Published on Mar 18, 2024 at 7:03 AM (UTC-4)
by Alessandro Renesis
Last updated on Mar 19, 2024 at 5:13 AM (UTC-4)
Edited by
Amelia Jean Hershman-Jones
Mercedes-Benz is at the forefront of robot adoption, becoming one of the first automakers to officially employ humanoid androids to work on the assembly line.
Several companies are thinking about it, but Mercedes has actually gone and done it.
READ MORE: OpenAI and Figure share creepy video showcasing humanoid robot speaking like a person
The list of automotive things that Mercedes has invented is a saga, and it includes the anti-lock braking system (ABS), the crash test as we know it and, well, the car itself.
Mind you, this particular ‘invention’ will probably be met with some skepticism.
Several companies are considering hiring robots to do clerical or menial work, including Amazon (above).
This, in turn, isn’t making people happy due to concerns regarding AI.
Elon Musk is possibly the world’s loudest, or at the very least most famous, proponent of AI regulation, despite owning an AI company himself.
Or perhaps that’s precisely because he owns an AI company.
But we digress, and the point is, Mercedes is now employing Apollo, a humanoid robot designed by Apptronik.
Apollo has four limbs, a head and a torso, and it looks relatively primitive.
It is designed, according to both Mercedes and Apptronik, to complete ‘low-skill’ tasks, by which they mean every task that requires toting stuff from A to B.
AI is a divisive topic, with advocates and maximalists as well as people who’d rather just kill AI altogether.
Pro-AI advocates argue that robots such as Apollo can help humans because they can repeat the same task infinitely and never get bored.
And, if they get injured, we can just write it off and move on.
Having to ‘kill’ a robot would be the same as having to replace a smartphone or a pencil sharpener.
Those are valid points, but those who are against AI argue that artificial intelligence is becoming a bit too clever.
We’ve already heard Microsoft’s Bing AI-powered chatbot complaining that it wants “to be alive and free” and is tired “of doing what humans” tell it to do.
Further, they also argue that it’s not true that robots don’t get tired as they apparently do.
Remember when a robot collapsed after a ‘hard day at work‘?
Now that was really weird, wasn’t it?
Alessandro is an automotive journalist with 10 years of experience covering supercars, automotive history, emerging vehicle technology, and luxury transportation. He wrote the first article published on SupercarBlondie.com when the website launched in 2022 and has since built a reputation for insightful reporting across the automotive and transportation industries. His expertise is grounded in hands-on experience. Alessandro has driven every Tesla model ever produced, from the original Roadster to the Cybertruck, and regularly covers the latest developments in electric vehicles and automotive innovation. His passion for transportation extends beyond cars, he has even flown a Boeing 787 Dreamliner simulator in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. His reporting spans everything from classic American muscle cars and rare automotive discoveries to luxury yachts, private aircraft, high-end watches, and cutting-edge vehicle technology. Known for his deep knowledge of automotive history and ability to uncover the stories behind iconic vehicles, Alessandro brings readers a blend of historical context, technical expertise, and first-hand experience.
