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The globotics upheaval : globalization, robotics, and the future of work
\" At the root of inequality, unemployment, and populism are radical changes in the world economy. Digital technology is allowing talented foreigners to telecommute into our workplaces and compete for service and professional jobs. Instant machine translation is melting language barriers, so the ranks of these \"tele-migrants\" will soon include almost every educated person in the world. Computing power is dissolving humans' monopoly on thinking, enabling AI-trained computers to compete for many of the same white-collar jobs. Richard Baldwin, one of the world's leading globalization experts, argues that the inhuman speed of this combination of globalization and robotics - \"globotics\" - threatens to overwhelm our capacity to adapt. Globotics will disrupt the lives of millions of white-collar workers much faster than automation, industrialization, and globalization disrupted the lives of factory workers in previous centuries. The result will be a backlash. Professional, white-collar, and service workers will agitate for a slowing of the unprecedented pace of disruption, as factory workers have done in years past. Baldwin argues that the globotics upheaval will be countered in the short run by \"shelter-ism\" - government policies that shelter some service jobs from tele-migrants and thinking computers. In the long run, people will work in more human jobs - activities that require real people to use the uniquely human ability of independent thought - and this will strengthen bonds in local communities. Offering effective strategies such as focusing on the social value of work, The Globotics Upheaval will help employers and institutions prepare for the oncoming wave of an advanced robotic workforce. \"-- Provided by publisher.
Book
The rise of the robots: technology and the threat of mass unemployment
Artificial intelligence is already well on its way to making 'good jobs' obsolete: many paralegals, doctors, and ironically even computer programmers are poised to be replaced by robots. As technology continues to accelerate and machines begin taking care of themselves, fewer jobs will be necessary. In terms of societal and economic upheaval, this is most important technological shift since the industrial revolution. And, unless we radically reassess the fundamentals of how our economy and politics work, we risk a future of massive unemployment and inequality as well as the implosion of the economy itself. Martin Ford offers both an exploration of this new technology and a call to arms to face its implications.
eBook
Robot Ethics
Robots today serve in many roles, from entertainer to educator to executioner. As robotics technology advances, ethical concerns become more pressing: Should robots be programmed to follow a code of ethics, if this is even possible? Are there risks in forming emotional bonds with robots? How might society--and ethics--change with robotics? This volume is the first book to bring together prominent scholars and experts from both science and the humanities to explore these and other questions in this emerging field. Starting with an overview of the issues and relevant ethical theories, the topics flow naturally from the possibility of programming robot ethics to the ethical use of military robots in war to legal and policy questions, including liability and privacy concerns. The contributors then turn to human-robot emotional relationships, examining the ethical implications of robots as sexual partners, caregivers, and servants. Finally, they explore the possibility that robots, whether biological-computational hybrids or pure machines, should be given rights or moral consideration. Ethics is often slow to catch up with technological developments. This authoritative and accessible volume fills a gap in both scholarly literature and policy discussion, offering an impressive collection of expert analyses of the most crucial topics in this increasingly important field.
eBook
An international, multicentre, prospective, randomised, controlled, unblinded, parallel-group trial of robotic-assisted versus standard laparoscopic surgery for the curative treatment of rectal cancer
Purpose
There is growing enthusiasm for robotic-assisted laparoscopic operations across many surgical specialities, including colorectal surgery, often not supported by robust clinical or cost-effectiveness data. A proper assessment of this new technology is required, prior to widespread recommendation or implementation.
Methods/design
The ROLARR trial is a pan-world, prospective, randomised, controlled, unblinded, superiority trial of robotic-assisted versus standard laparoscopic surgery for the curative treatment of rectal cancer. It will investigate differences in terms of the rate of conversion to open operation, rate of pathological involvement of circumferential resection margin, 3-year local recurrence, disease-free and overall survival rates and also operative morbidity and mortality, quality of life and cost-effectiveness. The primary outcome measure is the rate of conversion to open operation. For 80% power at the 5% (two-sided) significance level, to identify a relative 50% reduction in open conversion rate (25% to 12.5%), 336 patients will be required. The target recruitment is 400 patients overall to allow loss to follow-up. Patients will be followed up at 30 days and 6 months post-operatively and then annually until 3 years after the last patient has been randomised.
Discussion
In many centres, robotic-assisted surgery is being implemented on the basis of theoretical advantages, which have yet to be confirmed in practice. Robotic surgery is an expensive health care provision and merits robust evaluation. The ROLARR trial is a pragmatic trial aiming to provide a comprehensive evaluation of both robotic-assisted and standard laparoscopic surgery for the curative resection of rectal cancer.
Journal Article
The exoskeleton expansion: improving walking and running economy
Since the early 2000s, researchers have been trying to develop lower-limb exoskeletons that augment human mobility by reducing the metabolic cost of walking and running versus without a device. In 2013, researchers finally broke this ‘metabolic cost barrier’. We analyzed the literature through December 2019, and identified 23 studies that demonstrate exoskeleton designs that improved human walking and running economy beyond capable without a device. Here, we reviewed these studies and highlighted key innovations and techniques that enabled these devices to surpass the metabolic cost barrier and steadily improve user walking and running economy from 2013 to nearly 2020. These studies include, physiologically-informed targeting of lower-limb joints; use of off-board actuators to rapidly prototype exoskeleton controllers; mechatronic designs of both active and passive systems; and a renewed focus on human-exoskeleton interface design. Lastly, we highlight emerging trends that we anticipate will further augment wearable-device performance and pose the next grand challenges facing exoskeleton technology for augmenting human mobility.
Journal Article
Machine behaviour
Machines powered by artificial intelligence increasingly mediate our social, cultural, economic and political interactions. Understanding the behaviour of artificial intelligence systems is essential to our ability to control their actions, reap their benefits and minimize their harms. Here we argue that this necessitates a broad scientific research agenda to study machine behaviour that incorporates and expands upon the discipline of computer science and includes insights from across the sciences. We first outline a set of questions that are fundamental to this emerging field and then explore the technical, legal and institutional constraints on the study of machine behaviour.
Understanding the behaviour of the machines powered by artificial intelligence that increasingly mediate our social, cultural, economic and political interactions is essential to our ability to control the actions of these intelligent machines, reap their benefits and minimize their harms.
Journal Article
Supporting managerial decisions: a comparison of new robotic platforms through time-driven activity-based costing within a value-based healthcare framework
Background
The advent of novel robotic platforms requires that managers base their decisions on the value these platforms generate. This study showcases how micro-costing methodologies can assist managers in the decision-making process regarding the implementation of new robotic platforms within the value-based healthcare (VBHC) framework.
Methods
We applied time-driven activity-based costing (TDABC) to evaluate cost disparities between the da Vinci and Hugo robotic systems for robot-assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP). Data were collected from consecutively enrolled patients with organ-confined prostate cancer. Basic cost information was gathered from Azienda Universitaria Integrata di Verona’s finance and pharmacy departments. We conducted cost and sensitivity analyses to evaluate the most cost-sensitive parameters.
Results
The da Vinci system incurred higher total costs for RARP than the Hugo system (€4,97.21 vs. € 3,511.73,
p
-value < 0.001) However, excluding surgical kit costs, the da Vinci platform proved less expensive (€1,481.18 vs. €1,926.18,
p
-value < 0.001). Sensitivity analyses identified surgical kit costs as the most influential parameter, followed by surgical duration and platform costs.
Conclusions
This study highlights the importance of micro-costing practices in supporting managerial decisions within a VBHC framework. When clinical outcomes are equivalent, the value of robotic platforms is related to cost savings. By using TDABC and sensitivity analyses, managers can pinpoint critical activities and parameters to optimize the effective adoption of new platforms.
Journal Article
Robot-Assisted Therapy for Long-Term Upper-Limb Impairment after Stroke
In this randomized study evaluating rehabilitative therapies in patients with long-term upper-limb impairment after stroke, outcomes at 12 weeks were similar with robot-assisted therapy, intensive comparison therapy, and usual care. In secondary analyses, modest improvements were observed over 36 weeks in both intensive-therapy groups, as compared with the usual-care group.
In patients with long-term upper-limb impairment after stroke, outcomes at 12 weeks were similar with robot-assisted therapy, intensive comparison therapy, and usual care. Modest improvements were observed over 36 weeks in both intensive-therapy groups.
Stroke is a leading cause of long-term disability in the United States, affecting an estimated 6.4 million Americans.
1
Long-term disability is often associated with persistent impairment of an upper limb.
2
Despite the development of many programs for recovery after stroke, the effectiveness of rehabilitation in improving functioning and quality of life for patients with deficits more than 6 months after a stroke has not been definitively shown. Robotic rehabilitation devices have the potential to deliver high-intensity, reproducible therapy. Advances in robotics and an increased understanding of the latent neurologic potential for stroke recovery led to our initiation of this multicenter, . . .
Journal Article
Comparative meta-analysis of robot- and video-assisted surgery for thymoma: efficacy, learning curve, and economic burden in 7347 patients
Objective
This meta-analysis systematically evaluates the perioperative outcomes, learning curve, and hospitalization costs of robot-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (RATs) compared to video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATs) for thymoma resection.
Methods
A comprehensive literature search was conducted in PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library, with the final update in June 2025, following PRISMA guidelines. Constant-effects model or random-effects model was used based on heterogeneity, and subgroup analyses were performed accordingly.
Results
A total of 30 studies involving 7,347 patients (RATs: 3,122; VATs: 4,225) were included, and 17 outcome indicators were analyzed. Compared with VATs, RATs showed lower conversion rates, reduced blood loss, shorter chest tube duration, and fewer complications—including pulmonary infections—while operative time and hospital stay differences were modest. Analysis of the learning curve in 153 RATs patients showed operative times significantly decreased after 20 procedures. Total hospitalization costs were higher for RATs, there were no significant differences in 30-day or 90-day mortality between groups.
Conclusion
RATs showed favorable perioperative outcomes, including faster recovery and fewer complications, indicating potential clinical advantages in thymoma surgery. Although associated with higher hospitalization costs, further large-scale prospective studies are needed to confirm its broader applicability.
Journal Article
Robotic Upper Limb Rehabilitation after Acute Stroke by NeReBot : Evaluation of Treatment Costs
Stroke is the first cause of disability. Several robotic devices have been developed for stroke rehabilitation. Robot therapy by NeReBot is demonstrated to be an effective tool for the treatment of poststroke paretic upper limbs, able to improve the activities of daily living of stroke survivors when used both as additional treatment and in partial substitution of conventional rehabilitation therapy in the acute and subacute phases poststroke. This study presents the evaluation of the costs related to delivering such therapy, in comparison with conventional rehabilitation treatment. By comparing several NeReBot treatment protocols, made of different combinations of robotic and nonrobotic exercises, we show that robotic technology can be a valuable and economically sustainable aid in the management of poststroke patient rehabilitation.
Journal Article