WSJ Marks 100 Years Since the Term 'Robot' First Appeared

[Image source= AP Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Byung-hee] The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported on the 23rd (local time) that it has been 100 years since the word 'robot' first appeared. WSJ explained that with the advancement of science and technology, robots from novels are increasingly appearing in reality, with both positive and negative aspects.

On January 25, 1921, actors playing the role of 'robots' who rebel against humanity first appeared on stage at a theater in Prague, Czech Republic. The play "R.U.R. (Rossum's Universal Robots)" by Czech writer Karel ?apek, which premiered that day, was translated into 30 languages including English within two years and achieved great success. WSJ reported that the Prague premiere, which marked the occasion when ?apek turned the word robot into a common noun, is celebrating its 100th anniversary on the 25th. Karel coined the word robot by modifying the Slavic word "robota," meaning "forced labor."

The robots appearing in Karel's play have human characteristics such as artificial skin and artificial blood but are soulless beings. They work for humans but ultimately fight against humanity.

WSJ evaluated that 100 years after the word robot appeared, robots have become entities seen throughout society.

Since the first robotic arm appeared at General Motors (GM)'s automobile assembly plant in 1961, industrial robots have become indispensable in production sites. According to the International Federation of Robotics (IFR), 373,000 industrial robots were sold and deployed in the field in 2019.

In 2012, Amazon acquired a company called "Kiva," which produced robots that organize shelves autonomously using Wi-Fi and identification sensors, and established "Amazon Robotics." Robots produced by Amazon Robotics play a key role in Amazon's logistics system. Such specialized service robots sold 173,000 units in 2019.

The spread of robots is not always smooth. A hotel in Japan, which was the world's first to prominently feature robot employees in 2015, reduced the number of robots by half after problems arose during actual service. Last year, Walmart canceled its plan to assign shelf organization to robots, citing that humans were more efficient at organizing than robots.

WSJ explained that because robots' cognitive functions are still limited, human intervention is necessary. However, the automation phenomenon where robots replace workers is expected to continue. Mark Muro, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, a U.S. think tank, said, "From a long-term perspective, automation will increase economic productivity and create jobs," but added, "In the short term, unemployment is bound to increase."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.