Famous US billionaire Elon Musk’s announcement that Tesla will use humanoid robots starting next year has sparked a new debate. Musk said in a post on his social media account, “Tesla will have truly useful humanoid robots in low production for internal use next year and we hope to have them in high production for other companies in 2026.” Speaking at Tesla’s annual shareholder meeting in June, Musk said that in the future there will be at least one humanoid robot for every person in the world, and that Optimus could also serve as a companion, be a caretaker for children or do work in factories. Experts, on the other hand, emphasize that the spread of humanoid robots has the potential to positively affect labor dynamics in various sectors, while this situation could also cause a decrease in employment in some business lines.
TESLA IS PLAYING BIG
Information Technology Specialist Prof. Dr. Ali Murat Kırık said that Tesla aims to go beyond being just an electric vehicle manufacturer by focusing on artificial intelligence and autonomous technologies. Prof. Dr. Kırık, “The development of humanoid robots is part of Tesla’s goal to be at the forefront of technological innovation. “At the end of these projects, Tesla can be expected to become a technology company that offers solutions that can revolutionize not only the automotive sector but also various industries,” he said.
CREATES EMPLOYMENT PROBLEMS
Stating that it is possible to develop humanoid robots technologically, Prof. Dr. Kırık said, “Current artificial intelligence and robotic technologies allow humanoid robots to reach the capacity to perform certain tasks. However, it will take time for these robots to become widely available and economically sustainable. The proliferation of humanoid robots can change labor dynamics in various sectors. Having robots do particularly dangerous or monotonous jobs will increase job safety and efficiency. However, this could also lead to a decrease in employment in some sectors.
NEGATIVE EFFECTS ON YOUTH
Technology Expert Tanol Türkoğlu, while mentioning that humanoid robots are a part of the workforce that comes with the ‘Industry 4’ vision, namely the transformation from human to machine, said, “It is becoming increasingly difficult to find quality human workforce to do routine and forced labor. There are two main reasons; First, it earns little. Second, it does not provide individual satisfaction. Having robots do forced labor is positive in this respect. But what kind of jobs will satisfy the young people financially and spiritually? It seems that this will have a negative effect on young people who do not have high cognitive skills and they will not be able to find a job even with minimum wage. “Each country will find a solution to this issue according to its own dynamics,” he said.
NO LEGAL REGULATIONS
Following Musk’s controversial project, Lawyer Gizem Gonce, who evaluated the legal aspect of the issue, shared the following information; “Artificial intelligence is an important innovation that we have felt the transformative effect of in our business lives as its field of application expands recently. It is clear that the use of artificial intelligence and humanoid robots in the future will bring many problems, especially unemployment. HuThere are no regulations yet in our KUK system regarding the use of artificial intelligence and humanoid robots and their legal sanctions. “What kind of problems will be experienced in practice or under which law the legal procedures will be evaluated as unemployment problems increase are the details we are waiting for with curiosity.”
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