The state of AI, robotics heading into 2025 [Video]

Editor’s Note: Join us on January 21, 2025 for a free State of the Robotics Industry webinar. Erik Nieves (Plus One Robotics), Ken Goldberg (UC Berkeley), Aaron Prather (ASTM), and Mike Oitzman (The Robot Report) will examine the latest market trends, cutting-edge technologies, and emerging applications shaping the future of robotics. Register here. 

In October 2024, U.S. dockworkers went on strike, shutting down East Coast ports for three days and temporarily stalling shipping traffic. Automation became a particularly intense sticking point during negotiations.

Initially, union representatives requested new contractual language dictating that automation and semi-automation could not replace a single human worker. While the U.S. Maritime Alliance granted several other requests — including wage increases — this particular demand remains unmet.

This saga encapsulates the media perception surrounding labor and automation. They’re portrayed as opposed contingents, with robots often depicted as threatening the livelihood of the working class. In reality, labor and automation have always had a complex relationship, neither totally in opposition nor …