INNOVATIVE AI ROBOTS DESIGNED IN CHINA TO COMBAT LABOR SHORTAGE

Tue 25 March 2025:

China has designed artificial intelligence (AI)-powered rubber-tapping robots in an attempt to tackle chronic labor shortages plaguing its natural rubber industry, state media reported Monday.

Jointly developed by the Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences (CATAS) and Beijing-based tech firm Automotive Walking Technology, the self-navigating robots mark a leap forward in agricultural automation, the Beijing-based Xinhua News Agency reported.

The robots are set to undergo trials in rubber plantations in China’s southern Hainan province during the tapping season in April.

China’s natural rubber sector, which is vital for tire manufacturing and as a source of industrial supplies, is currently facing a major workforce shortage due to its exhausting working conditions, nocturnal shifts and high incidence of occupational diseases.

“The rubber-tapping robots have been developed to address the exodus of rubber tappers, which is the industry’s critical pain point,” Cao Jianhua, deputy director of the CATAS rubber research institute, was quoted as saying by Xinhua News.

Powered by lithium batteries that provide over eight hours of continuous operation, the rubber-tapping robots can harvest 100 to 120 trees per hour.

Once in the mass-production phase, the cost of the rubber-tapping robot will drop below 100,000 yuan ($13,794), and for a 3.33-hectare (8.22-acre) rubber garden, robot-based tapping will recoup the purchase cost within about 18 months, said Sun Yao, co-founder of Automotive Walking Technology.

“We’ve been in discussions with several multinational tire companies and rubber growers throughout Southeast Asia, including in Indonesia and Thailand, and they’re showing strong interest in our product,” said Cao.

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Many experts believe that in the future, robots and AI may take over jobs because they can perform repetitive, dangerous, or complex tasks more efficiently than humans. Automation technologies, like robotics and machine learning, can work tirelessly, reduce errors, and speed up production, leading to cost savings for businesses.

For example, robots already handle manufacturing, warehouse logistics, and even customer service. As AI improves, it can also take over tasks that require decision-making, like in healthcare or finance. This could lead to job displacement, but also create new opportunities for humans in tech, oversight, and creative fields. The key challenge will be ensuring a balance between innovation and the protection of workers through education and policy.

SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES

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