Workers could be replaced by giant ants

Factory floors could start to resemble forest floors if workers are replaced by giant ants.

This is the vision of German engineering company Festo, who have created bionic ants that mimic the co-operative behaviour of real insects. The ants, about the size of a human hand, are able to move objects around as a team that they wouldn’t be able to move on their own.

The goal of the project, according to New Scientist, is “to create intelligent agents that can work efficiently in factories of the future by adapting to different production requirements.”

The new development supports findings from a recent report that claimed that around 50% of occupations existing today will be completely redundant by 2025 due to advances in technology.

However, the report states: “Losing occupations doesn’t necessarily mean losing jobs; just changing what people do.”

This is echoed by the Adam Smith Institute. The think tank recently said robots won’t threaten our jobs because “companies will move into industries where productivity and demand is high and create new jobs, or use new technology to create new industries. Automation also frees up displaced workers to utilize their skills in other, potentially more fulfilling and creative ways.”