How we bring AI into the physical world with autonomous systems

Autonomous systems are revolutionizing industries Image: Getty Images
- Autonomous systems integrating AI, sensor technology and connectivity are transforming industries such as transportation, manufacturing, agriculture and public services.
- Autonomous systems can help meet the UN’s global development goals but also pose significant challenges, including labour market shifts and risks from autonomous weapons.
- Successful development and deployment of autonomous systems require thoughtful collaboration between the public sector, private industry and academia.
Autonomous systems are set to revolutionize how we move and work, where we live and how we interact with each other.
Physical autonomous systems – referred to simply as autonomous systems in this article – are the result of bringing together mechanical engineering, artificial intelligence (AI), sensor technology and connectivity. They can be seen as the next AI frontier, which leaps from the digital realm into the physical world to perform complex tasks in unstructured environments.
As the International Telecommunication Union’s head of strategic engagement highlighted in 2023, robots may take off in the next few years in the same way that generative AI hit the mainstream that year.
The potential impact of autonomous systems is manyfold, from becoming a key asset to meeting the UN’s global development goals, to being the driver of reimagining the limits of productivity and growth.
Related potential risks, including those related to the deployment of autonomous weapons, should also not be understated. Now is the time to ensure a responsible, autonomous future.
Where are we now?
Autonomous vehicles can be seen as a core example of the impact that autonomous systems can have in our everyday lives. Fleets of driverless taxis, also known as robotaxis, are already operating with no safety driver in, among other cities, San Francisco, United States and Wuhan, China.
Still, the robotaxi endeavour is costly and complex, which has made several car manufacturers move away from it, the latest one being General Motors with the change of strategy of its subsidiary Cruise.
Other than robotaxi efforts, vehicle autonomy efforts include those for autonomous trucks and for partially automated privately-owned vehicles, where the vehicle assists the driver, performing part of the driving tasks.
The expected benefits from autonomous vehicles range from safety – 1.19 million people die yearly as a result of road traffic accidents – to efficiency and utilization gains, enabling 24/7 operations (especially relevant for long-distance trucking).
Governments worldwide are settings efforts to reap these benefits. Germany has just approved their strategy to pave the way for autonomous driving in regular operations, focusing on public transport and freight transport.
Impact of autonomous systems across industries
Autonomous systems encompass much more than autonomous vehicles for passenger and good transport. They include, among others, drones, autonomous vessels, delivery robots and humanoids. And they are transforming a broad spectrum of industries.
The manufacturing industry has been highly automated for over a century and its autonomation continues to increase. For example, BMW is currently testing humanoid robots in its automotive manufacturing plants, which could help enable 24/7 operations and further improve the quality of some tasks.
Beyond manufacturing, other sectors operating in defined spaces also see successful implementations of autonomous systems. These include the mining, construction, oil and gas, and logistics sectors.
For example, the mining group Rio Tinto uses self-driving trucks in several of their most remote mines worldwide. Saudi Aramco uses autonomous underwater vehicles to conduct offshore platform debris surveys.
Einride and DP World are currently developing a network with autonomous trucks at Dubai's Jebel Ali port.
Similarly, the agriculture sector also has largely segregated operations. Here, we can find a wide range of autonomous systems usages: from autonomous tractors and harvesters to drones for irrigation monitoring or fruit-picking robots. These technologies can significantly contribute to the productivity increases the sector needs.
The public sector is also implementing these systems in a wide range of uses. From deploying robot dog porters for trash collection in Mount Tai in China to leveraging drones for power lines and wind turbine inspections in the UK, fire prevention in Greece, and navigating earthquake aftermath in Turkey.
Governments are also partnering with the healthcare sector to improve healthcare access in hard-to-reach regions, as was done in the Medicine from the Sky project for the Indian Himalayan region.
While there is some human-robot interaction in the previously mentioned applications, the ultimate frontier comes with the deployment of the so-called social robots, which interact with humans by following the behavioural norms expected from their subjects.
Ongoing research tries to better understand these interactions. For example, research suggests social robots might one day help reduce loneliness and related illnesses, and the humanoid social robot Nadine was deployed as a companion in an elderly home in Singapore, with positive results.
Responsible autonomous future
As the development of autonomous systems across industries continues, three points remain key:
- Robust guardrails. A lot is discussed about the guardrails needed to govern AI. Additional safety and ethical challenges arise with autonomous systems since they can induce physical harm. This discussion spans beyond intentional harm. For example, medical robots may fail while performing a critical task or work sub-optimally for some patients. With social robots, cultural differences should also be accounted for.
- Timely workforce upskilling and reskilling. Autonomous systems can potentially reduce so-called “dull, dirty and dangerous jobs”. Similar to previous technological revolutions, autonomous systems may change job tasks rather than reduce the number of jobs; e.g. truck drivers might transition into supervisory or maintenance roles for autonomous fleets. Developing upskilling and reskilling programmes and clarifying and updating the timeline for change can help ensure workforce preparedness and bring unions on board with future changes.
- Purposeful deployments. The impact of autonomous systems depends on how we develop and deploy them. Hence, the question is: how can we shape them such that they address pressing societal needs? Thoughtful collaboration across the public sector, private sector and academia will be paramount to address this question in the best possible way.
The World Economic Forum is contributing to enabling responsible autonomous systems developments and deployments with, among others, the DRIVE-A: Vehicle Autonomy initiative, the AVIATE: Advanced Air Mobility initiative and the upcoming Global Future Council on Autonomous Systems. Join us in this important endeavour.
Don't miss any update on this topic
Create a free account and access your personalized content collection with our latest publications and analyses.
License and Republishing
World Economic Forum articles may be republished in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International Public License, and in accordance with our Terms of Use.
The views expressed in this article are those of the author alone and not the World Economic Forum.
Stay up to date:
Artificial Intelligence
Related topics:
Forum Stories newsletter
Bringing you weekly curated insights and analysis on the global issues that matter.
More on Fourth Industrial RevolutionSee all
Mark Esposito and Eduardo Araral
February 7, 2025