BMW unveils creepy AI humanoid robots that will hit the job market

BMW is currently developing and testing general-purpose robots that could soon enter the workforce.

The robots are being developed in collaboration with a company called Figure, based in California.

Figure designs the bots for difficult, unsafe or annoying tasks in the production process.

BMW and Figure claim the humanoids will allow workers to focus on more important tasks.

In a press release, the companies say these robots will enable “continuous improvements in production efficiency and safety.”

“Single-purpose robotics has saturated the commercial market for decades, but the potential of universal robotics has been completely untapped,” said Brett Adcock, Founder and CEO of Figure.

“Figure's robots will enable companies to increase productivity, reduce costs and create a safer and more consistent environment,” Adcock added.

“We look forward to integrating side by side with BMW Manufacturing [artificial intelligence] and robotics in automotive production.”

In the first phase, Figure will identify use cases to apply the robots in automotive production.

The second phase includes a phased implementation at BMW's South Carolina plant.

In addition to these two phases, BMW Manufacturing and Figure plan to explore advanced technologies such as AI, robot control, production virtualization and robot integration.

“The automotive industry, and therefore vehicle production, is evolving rapidly,” said Dr. Robert Engelhorn, President and CEO of BMW Manufacturing.

“BMW Manufacturing is committed to integrating innovative technologies into our production systems to advance our future as a market leader and innovator,” he added.

“Using general-purpose robotic solutions has the potential to make productivity more efficient, support growing demand from our consumers and allow our team to focus on the transformation ahead.”

Not everyone is a fan of this move by BMW, as some fear that robots will take over human jobs.

Michael Walsh out Nerdist said BMW's bots look like a “sci-fi disaster come to life,” but didn't elaborate much on why.

Yet BMW is certainly not the first company, and certainly not the last, to use robots in the workplace.

Tesla's Optimus bot is another great example of the technology that is quickly coming.