There are three key things cobot developers and employers using cobots must remember when considering implementation: 1) human life takes precedence, 2) human life takes precedence, and 3) human life takes precedence.

Dictionary.com defines cobot as “a computer-controlled robotic apparatus that assists a human worker,” usually working alongside them, as suggested by the more colloquial definition of “collaborative robot.” Developers foresee cobots tackling dangerous jobs or performing monotonous tasks faster and more precisely. 

Yet the artificial intelligence (AI) factor is what dramatically separates cobots from traditional automated machinery, even if most cobots still take the form of a robotic arm. Cobots are already getting more sophisticated. At ground-level, there are still major safety, training, and ethical concerns, and we can only expect to feel those more strongly as the technology advances and more bots are deployed.

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