For a Look at the Future of Work, See How These Startups Combine AI, Robots, and People

It’s hard to escape news of the AI revolution, which is said to be boosting worker productivity and actually replacing human roles in some industries. And the tsunami of AI tech is arriving at the same time as the long-touted robot revolution is finally beginning, with some supporters claiming that millions, if not billions, of robots will soon be arriving in many workplaces. If all of this sounds far-fetched, this might change your mind: A startup has just emerged from stealth with $80 million in backing and a plan to introduce robotic machinery into that oh-so human workplace—the construction site. The company, Bedrock Robotics, is led by a veteran of Alphabet’s autonomous tech division, the group behind the successful Waymo self-driving taxis now operating in several cities. In fact Boris Sofman, who has a PhD in robotics from Carnegie Mellon University and was labeled a “star engineer” at Waymo by Forbes, is actually said to have worked on automating trucks when working for Alphabet. Waymo team members Ajay Gummalla, Kevin Peterson, and Tom Eliaz have joined Sofman, and Laurent Hautefeuille, previously an executive vice president at Uber Freight, is acting as COO. The San Francisco-based company is said to be starting with excavators—the multipurpose diggers and earth-moving machines that typically do a lot of heavy preparation work at building sites. It has a novel plan, more akin to the way Waymo adds automated technology to a previously manufactured car than the way Tesla builds self-driving cars from the wheels up. Bedrock will modify heavy equipment made by third parties, adding sensors like cameras and lidar imaging tech, along with AI software that will let the machines operate autonomously 24-7-365. Forbes reports the company isn’t revealing revenue targets or a valuation, but it is likely to raise more funding over the next year, and is already testing machinery at sites in Arizona, Texas, and Arkansas. Bedrock plans to shift its testing to a customer site next month, and plans to commercialize its products next year. Meanwhile, a report in the Wall Street Journal shows how automated technology is revolutionizing another workplace—the farm. “New technologies,” the Journal says, are “paving the way for farms that can run themselves, with minimal human input.” The newspaper focuses on a farm in Washington state’s agriculturally rich Palouse region, which it says is at the cutting edge of farm automation tech, in a push that may revolutionize how food is grown and harvested. While farmers have recently grown to rely on semiautomated vehicles and precision guidance technology like GPS to help them maximize their crop output, the Journal says the next generation of these systems is arriving, and they’re a big step up. For example, as a tractor crosses a field, its sensors and AI-powered software can let it decide where and when to spray fertilizer, tear up weeds, or perform other actions. Add in drones that can monitor fields automatically and automated harvesters that refine their operation every moment to make the most of soil and the weather and, the Journal says, farmers will shift from working long, hard hours in the driving cab to making more strategic decisions from the safety of their offices. The autonomous farm would have other benefits too, including more efficient use of precious water resources. The paper quotes McKinsey & Co. senior partner David Fiocco, who researches agricultural innovation. He thinks automated farming tech is at a “turning point in the commercial viability.” And while McKinsey data from 2022 show only about two in three U.S. farms relied on digital systems, and only about 4 percent of small farms have invested significantly in robotics or automation, he expects robot use to soar in the next few years. Why should you care about this if your company has nothing to do with construction or farming? Because farming and construction sites are typically places where human workers excel: They’re messy, complex, tangled, with detailed precision work needed at some times and heavy lifting at other moments. Human intuition and expertise, aided by precision instruments, have helped advance farming and construction in recent decades. But robotics and AI proponents say that the technology has now advanced enough that they can add value, if not totally transform these industries. After farms and building sites, factory floors, office spaces, and possibly homes and hospitals may be the next places that robots and AI transform. Elon Musk has bet the future of Tesla on robots, for example, and all of this echoes writings by futurist Adam Dorr, who recently warned that we’re only at the start of the era where robots upend workplace norms. He also offered a terrifyingly short timeline for when robots could replace everyone’s jobs: just 20 years. BY KIT EATON @KITEATON