“Ask people if they want to be cared for by a robot, and most say no”: People are getting used to robots at work, but they don’t want them in hospitals or schools

Report finds public support for robots in the workplace is growing, especially for physical or dangerous tasks.
Willingness to accept a robot inside the home increases with actual exposure
Familiarity and clear governance are key to overcoming public fear

Technological capabilities may no longer be the limiting factor when it comes to how and where robots can be deployed, with new research from Hexagon revealing that public support is not always there.

The company has found that much of the public is increasingly accepting of robots in the workplace, but only when they are used for practical, physical or dangerous tasks.

However, roles that require empathy, judgment or human interaction still remain poorly supported.

Robots are most accepted in practical work use cases

For example, more than half (56%) of more than 1,000 UK adults surveyed said they would accept robots to lift and carry heavy objects. Transportation and delivery of any items (38%) and monitoring of hazards and dangerous environments (34%) also received reasonable support.

While airports, some supermarkets and other public places now employ robots, 31% would even support their use to clean shared spaces.

Although the study does not break down perception by age group, the company surveyed an equal number of British children to reveal that lifting, carrying and delivering heavy objects is even more accepted among under-18s.

However, although repetitive physical labor is generally well accepted, 82% of UK adults want humans to care for the sick, elderly and young.

Only 5% say they would choose a caregiver robot, making it the weakest support for all tasks included in the report. Even children seem reluctant to have non-human personal interactions, with 79% preferring human caregivers and 8% willing to choose a robot instead.

But Dr Blay Whitby, technology ethicist at Hexagon, believes that simple reframing could skew these numbers: “Ask people if they would like to be cared for by a robot, and most say no…Ask if technology should help them stay independent in their own home longer, and most say yes.” »

Associate professor of moral psychology Dr. Jim Everett views robots more as “assistive devices” in nursing homes and classrooms, rather than human replacements.

Exposure can radically change public perception

For now, the public still views robots as industrial automation roles. More than half agree that their natural home is factories (53%) and warehouses (53%) – fewer consider hospitals and clinics (34%) or classrooms (30%) to be at home.

Fear of the unknown could be another obstacle, with only 28% of UK adults thinking having a robot colleague would be exciting – almost half (46%) say it would be scary. Humanoid forms are clearly troubling, with twice as many people preferring machine-like robots (27%) to human-like robots (14%).

Science fiction fears about robots taking over could also influence public perception. Almost all UK adults (88%) want clear rules governing what robots can do.

“Industrial environments are those where the tasks of robots are most defined, safety files are mature and governance is in public view,” concluded Burkhard Boeckem, CTO of Hexagone.

Global comparisons reinforce the fear of this unknown theory: while 30% of British adults have encountered robots in real life, 75% have done so in China. A country that is almost twice as likely (63%) to accept robots into its home as the UK (32%).

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