Google’s elaborate robotics project which has been in development for the last seven years and is based on artificial intelligence has reached a new phase. The AI and robotics branch developed by the tech giant as part of its ‘moonshot’ projects has produced a prototype that shows a level of autonomy and flexibility in real-world applications never seen before.

The project, spearheaded by roboticists and AI specialists, was to build machines that can be trained to perform new tasks without requiring new codes to be inputted into the machine. These are not like the industrial robots made for a particular line of work or for a particular job; these machines can see, reason, and decide on their own with help of real-time information.

The revolution is achieved by combining the most sophisticated machine learning techniques with the modern robotic equipment. The robots that are employed here use computer vision, natural language processing, and reinforcement learning algorithms that enable them to interpret verbal directions, identify objects, and maneuver in unknown environments with a great deal of effectiveness.

One of the new features is the ability to create a neural architecture that enables robots to transfer knowledge from one task to another in the same way as people do. This kind of learning in robots enables generalization of knowledge from one domain to the other, thus reducing the amount of time and data needed to train the robots for new tasks.

The possibilities for this technology’s use are numerous and can be applied for various purposes. In manufacturing for instance, these flexible robots may transform the production lines as they can easily adapt to the new designs of the products or random changes in the assembly line. In healthcare they could be used to aid in delicate operations or support clients with different requirements.

Such robots in disaster response scenarios could move and perform their tasks in dangerous areas that would endanger human lives. Nonetheless, the lead researcher of the project underlines that it is not an attempt to replace people but to enhance people’s performance and address the problems which are too risky, monotonous, and intricate for people alone.

The team also understands the ethical issues that come along with development and deployment of the advanced artificial intelligence systems and is consulting with ethicists and policy makers on the same.

What is more encouraging is that this has also sparked debate on the future of work and the impact of AI in the society. Through active public discussion, Google is ready to discuss the issues with leaders of the industry, scientists, and the general public to prevent the development of AI-powered robotics from leading to undesirable consequences.

The work in the next phase of the project will be devoted to the fine-tuning of the technology for definite industries and testing on a large scale in real-life conditions. Alphabet’s Google aims to work with partners in different fields to discover the maximum potential of these artificial intelligence-controlled robots and find applications for solving some of the biggest issues of the contemporary world.

Although the way is still long, it is a real progress towards the future when robotic systems will be able to assist people and help solve numerous difficult issues in our lives. On the threshold of this new age, it is apparent that the integration of the AI industry and the robotics industry will further advance the technology frontiers and redefine the world once again.