Workers have to adapt to use of robots

DONGGUAN, once famous for manufacturing and processing, has seen its industries decline in recent years. Faced with a crisis, the government of the city in South China's Guangdong province began a campaign to replace workers with robots. Three years ago, the local municipality even set up a 200-million-yuan ($32 million) annual fund for enterprises employing robots. China Youth Daily comments:

Traditional manufacturing industries all over the world are feeling the pressure of the global economic downturn. But instead of shutting down their production units and spreading panic, enterprises can easily substitute human workers with robots. This may not revive abandoned plants in the short term but could establish a positive trend in the long run.

Alan Turing proposed the "artificial intelligence" concept half a century ago. Today it is clear that Industry 4.0 (or the fourth industrial revolution) cannot be accomplished without the use of robots.