At DHL’s warehouses in the US there are 1,500 robots working this Christmas, double the usual number as the company wants to make sure deliveries reach on time during a busy period.
Bringing in the robots is the company’s way of maintaining efficiency amid supply-chain disruptions that are a feature of the global economic rebound following the Covid-19 pandemic. More humans also have been brought in but people are no longer able to do the work unaided by technology.
In Abu Dhabi, at Amazon’s planned 175,000 square-metre fulfilment centre, expected to be completed by 2024, automation will be a central feature too, for example.
The use of robotics and automation is everywhere, not just in the logistics sector. Robots are being used in the fight against climate change, to develop treatments in medicine and to make films, to name a few. Softbank’s Pepper robot is even greeting guests at a Tokyo quarantine hotel who are Covid-19 positive. In Colorado, a robot called Beomni has been treating patients as part of a pilot study at a care home for the elderly. Toyota's purpose-built city near Mount Fuji will showcase automated cars and robotics for housing. Robots are also working on preparations for next year’s Beijing Winter Olympics.
In the Dubai International Financial Centre, there is now a special court to deal with disputes related to technologies such as robotics.
We need balanced regulations in place and the necessary infrastructure to ensure well-being of humans is paramount
A YouGov poll released this month said that a majority of UAE residents would not accept automated doctors or teachers.
"One could argue that understanding of AI in general is limited, as humans straddle belief systems ranging from deep skepticism to bubbling enthusiasm for its potential ramifications for humankind," the report's authors wrote.
Automation presents new risks to a deeply connected global economy, of course. For example, an error in one of Amazon's automated computer programme’s triggered outages across the digital economy this month, it said.
“They don’t explain what this unexpected behaviour was and they didn’t know what it was. So they were guessing when trying to fix it, which is why it took so long,” Corey Quinn, cloud economist at Duckbill Group, told Bloomberg News.
And there are concerns in terms of the battlefield with UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres this week in Geneva calling for consensus on establishing limits on the use of autonomous weapons.
The next generation points the way of things, however.
In Gaza, at a private school, a locally made robot, called Mr Robot, is helping the children memorise lessons, teaching them about electric circuits.
Then there are the images from Expo 2020 Dubai, of children happily mixing with a robot, which remind me of my own children's excited reactions when meeting the many robots that greet visitors, deliver food and help with security. The rest of us who are older should be ready for the reality that the robots are coming.
Which means we need to put balanced regulations in place and the necessary infrastructure to ensure well-being of humans is always paramount.
So far automation has had a broader impact in terms of job losses in manufacturing than, arguably, anything else. So, why would anyone believe that increased automation will help create opportunities? This is at odds with the widely-held belief today that businesses must be more people-centric and reduce inequality. Given today's realities, as stated in examples above, people are more likely to presume automation will not be to their benefit.
There is also the concern with regards to climate change and sustainable economic growth will robots add to our energy burden or help reduce our environmental impact?
At the moment, the pace of change is relatively sedate compared to what is likely to come. We have a window to make sure that the answer to such questions supports a better future for everyone.
Technology is a tool but the robots are only as innocent as their programming. We have seen that this past decade; algorithms deployed by big tech have prioritised the accumulation of users above other concerns, such as protecting the mental health of users and the rights of vulnerable sections, such as teenage users of technology.
A kind of reckoning is here at last with a slew of law suits from media companies in the US targeting Google’s digital advertising dominance and a number of regulatory fines already meted out to big technology firms, including most recently, in Italy, a €1.13 billion anti-trust penalty for Amazon.
It won’t result in wresting any control back from them. However, it is not too late to rebuild trust in technology as we move into the era of quantum computing, the metaverse and ultra-fast internet connection speeds.
This will come quicker if there can be a globally agreed code of conduct for the use of robotics and automation that balances the well-being of people with encouraging innovation and the adoption of technology.
The five pillars of Islam
Roll of honour
Who has won what so far in the West Asia Premiership season?
Western Clubs Champions League - Winners: Abu Dhabi Harlequins; Runners up: Bahrain
Dubai Rugby Sevens - Winners: Dubai Exiles; Runners up: Jebel Ali Dragons
West Asia Premiership - Winners: Jebel Ali Dragons; Runners up: Abu Dhabi Harlequins
UAE Premiership Cup - Winners: Abu Dhabi Harlequins; Runners up: Dubai Exiles
West Asia Cup - Winners: Bahrain; Runners up: Dubai Exiles
West Asia Trophy - Winners: Dubai Hurricanes; Runners up: DSC Eagles
Final West Asia Premiership standings - 1. Jebel Ali Dragons; 2. Abu Dhabi Harlequins; 3. Bahrain; 4. Dubai Exiles; 5. Dubai Hurricanes; 6. DSC Eagles; 7. Abu Dhabi Saracens
Fixture (UAE Premiership final) - Friday, April 13, Al Ain – Dubai Exiles v Abu Dhabi Harlequins
UAE%20PREMIERSHIP
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Pakistanis%20at%20the%20ILT20%20
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SPEC%20SHEET
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UAE Premiership
Results
Dubai Exiles 24-28 Jebel Ali Dragons
Abu Dhabi Harlequins 43-27 Dubai Hurricanes
Final
Abu Dhabi Harlequins v Jebel Ali Dragons, Friday, March 29, 5pm at The Sevens, Dubai
Super 30
Produced: Sajid Nadiadwala and Phantom Productions
Directed: Vikas Bahl
Cast: Hrithik Roshan, Pankaj Tripathi, Aditya Srivastav, Mrinal Thakur
Rating: 3.5 /5
West Indies v India - Third ODI
India 251-4 (50 overs)
Dhoni (78*), Rahane (72), Jadhav (40)
Cummins (2-56), Bishoo (1-38)
West Indies 158 (38.1 overs)
Mohammed (40), Powell (30), Hope (24)
Ashwin (3-28), Yadav (3-41), Pandya (2-32)
India won by 93 runs
Company profile
Company name: Suraasa
Started: 2018
Founders: Rishabh Khanna, Ankit Khanna and Sahil Makker
Based: India, UAE and the UK
Industry: EdTech
Initial investment: More than $200,000 in seed funding
In 2018, the ICRC received 27,756 trace requests in the Middle East alone. The global total was 45,507.
There are 139,018 global trace requests that have not been resolved yet, 55,672 of these are in the Middle East region.
More than 540,000 individuals approached the ICRC in the Middle East asking to be reunited with missing loved ones in 2018.
The total figure for the entire world was 654,000 in 2018.
Kamindu Mendis bio
Full name: Pasqual Handi Kamindu Dilanka Mendis
Born: September 30, 1998
Age: 20 years and 26 days
Nationality: Sri Lankan
Major teams Sri Lanka's Under 19 team
Batting style: Left-hander
Bowling style: Right-arm off-spin and slow left-arm orthodox (that's right!)
Three tips from La Perle's performers
1 The kind of water athletes drink is important. Gwilym Hooson, a 28-year-old British performer who is currently recovering from knee surgery, found that out when the company was still in Studio City, training for 12 hours a day. “The physio team was like: ‘Why is everyone getting cramps?’ And then they realised we had to add salt and sugar to the water,” he says.
2 A little chocolate is a good thing. “It’s emergency energy,” says Craig Paul Smith, La Perle’s head coach and former Cirque du Soleil performer, gesturing to an almost-empty open box of mini chocolate bars on his desk backstage.
3 Take chances, says Young, who has worked all over the world, including most recently at Dragone’s show in China. “Every time we go out of our comfort zone, we learn a lot about ourselves,” she says.
Hurricanes 31-31 Lions
Wellington Hurricanes:
Tries: Gibbins, Laumape, Goosen, Fifita tries, Barrett
Conversions: Barrett (4)
Penalties: Barrett
British & Irish Lions:
Tries: Seymour (2), North
Conversions: Biggar (2)
Penalties: Biggar (4)
Company%20profile
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More on animal trafficking
THE SPECS
Engine: 1.5-litre
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Power: 110 horsepower
Torque: 147Nm
Price: From Dh59,700
On sale: now
Remaining fixtures
- August 29 – UAE v Saudi Arabia, Hazza bin Zayed Stadium, Al Ain
- September 5 – Iraq v UAE, Amman, Jordan (venue TBC)
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Despacito's dominance in numbers
Released: 2017
Peak chart position: No.1 in more than 47 countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and Lebanon
Views: 5.3 billion on YouTube
Sales: With 10 million downloads in the US, Despacito became the first Latin single to receive Diamond sales certification
Streams: 1.3 billion combined audio and video by the end of 2017, making it the biggest digital hit of the year.
Awards: 17, including Record of the Year at last year’s prestigious Latin Grammy Awards, as well as five Billboard Music Awards
Tenet
Director: Christopher Nolan
Stars: John David Washington, Robert Pattinson, Elizabeth Debicki, Dimple Kapadia, Michael Caine, Kenneth Branagh
Rating: 5/5
MATCH INFO
Jersey 147 (20 overs)
UAE 112 (19.2 overs)
Jersey win by 35 runs
Sun jukebox
Rufus Thomas, Bear Cat (The Answer to Hound Dog) (1953)
This rip-off of Leiber/Stoller’s early rock stomper brought a lawsuit against Phillips and necessitated Presley’s premature sale to RCA.
Elvis Presley, Mystery Train (1955)
The B-side of Presley’s final single for Sun bops with a drummer-less groove.
Johnny Cash and the Tennessee Two, Folsom Prison Blues (1955)
Originally recorded for Sun, Cash’s signature tune was performed for inmates of the titular prison 13 years later.
Carl Perkins, Blue Suede Shoes (1956)
Within a month of Sun’s February release Elvis had his version out on RCA.
Roy Orbison, Ooby Dooby (1956)
An essential piece of irreverent juvenilia from Orbison.
Jerry Lee Lewis, Great Balls of Fire (1957)
Lee’s trademark anthem is one of the era’s best-remembered – and best-selling – songs.
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
