An extraordinary protest was held in Warsaw, the capital of Poland, to draw attention to the effects of artificial intelligence and robotization on working life.
Nearly 30 humanoid and quadrupedal robots lined up in front of the Ministry of Digital Affairs, calling for stricter regulations on artificial intelligence and automation.
"We want regulation, we want rules, we want laws" and "Don't wait, regulate, protect jobs" shouted slogans from robots carrying Polish flags.
The show was organized by Democratism, an initiative that calls for greater discussion of the effects of artificial intelligence and robotization on society and the workforce.
Automation may create new opportunities for some workers, but many may have to move into different professions or retrain, organizers said.
For this reason, it was argued that issues such as how employees will be protected during the transformation process, how retraining programs will be implemented and who will bear the cost of this should be discussed now.
A ROBOT COMPANY WAS BEHIND THE ACTION
It turned out that the Democratism initiative was founded by Delta Robots, a company that rents robots for events.
Grzegorz Kuliś from the company acknowledged that the protest had public relations value for Delta Robots.
Despite this, Kuliś argued that the rapid spread of artificial intelligence and robots could have serious consequences for society, and said that if the necessary regulations are not made, there may be an unprecedented transformation in working life.
Kuliś also made a striking analogy while explaining the extent of technological transformation.
Stating that societies have been discussing the impact of migration on working life for a long time, Kuliś argued that the real big impact on the labor market in the future could be created by "artificial intelligence agents coming through the cables under the Atlantic" and "humanoid robots coming from China in containers".
Polish Minister of Digital Affairs Krzysztof Gawkowski also appeared in front of the ministry and met with the organizers of the show.
Gawkowski stated that the government has adopted a human-centered approach to artificial intelligence and said, "People come first."
The Minister also announced that a commission will be established to oversee the development and security of artificial intelligence.
The government's plans also include creating regulatory testing grounds where companies can test AI systems before making them widely available.
ORGANIZERS FIND THE REGULATIONS INSUFFICIENT
Organizers of the protest argue that current regulations are insufficient to protect workers who are at risk of losing their jobs due to automation.
Kuliś said that concrete protection mechanisms should be strengthened, especially for employees who will be directly affected by technological transformation.
The rapid development in artificial intelligence and robotic technologies brings about discussions about the future of millions of employees around the world.
However, some recently published studies indicate that the impact of artificial intelligence on employment is more limited than anticipated so far.
On the other hand, experts evaluate that some jobs may transform in the coming years, while some jobs may disappear completely due to the rapid development of technology.
The robot protest in Warsaw also aims to give the message that the economic and social changes that artificial intelligence and automation may create in the future should be discussed before the technology becomes more widespread.
