A robot was hitherto regarded as a cold body with a cool mind, to be used at assembly lines, warehouses, mines, and even at homes to perform simple tasks like vacuum-cleaning and laundry.

Such machines have now evolved into “intellectual robots”. They find application in various sectors, including security, medical services and aerospace.

That's not all. They can replace human beings as teachers, coaches and therapists. And, even as sex partners.

But what really impresses the most is the robot journalist. Since last July, newswire Associated Press, in association with startup Automated Insights, has been “employing” a robot to produce corporate earnings stories.

The US media used to write around 300 such stories each quarter. Now, it can automate about 3,000, each typically containing 150 to 300 words. AP also uses robotic technology to provide sports news.

Following the success of media giants such as AP and The New York Times in developed markets, home-grown Tencent Holdings has developed Dreamwriter last month, which can produce a piece of hard business news within minutes.

According to a forecast of the International Federation of Robots, by 2020, human beings will employ over 15 million robots. The Boston Consulting Group predicts a quarter of global workplace positions will be taken over by robots or artificial intelligence by 2025.

bbabo.Net