The enthusiasm is mainly curbed by doubts about its economic viability: almost a third of those surveyed see humanoid robotics as a temporary trend and 41 percent see more costs than benefits.
On the other hand, two out of three companies (64 percent) are of the opinion that physical AI makes German industry more productive, while a similar number of survey participants (68 percent) say that German industry needs to develop humanoid robots itself as quickly as possible and offer them on the global market.
“Opinions are currently divided when it comes to humanoid robots,” says Bitkom spokeswoman Rückert. However, this ambivalence is typical for technologies in an early phase of maturity.
Bitkom Research
Humanoid robots as an opportunity for more productivity
The particular potential of humanoid robots lies in their flexibility. In contrast to classic industrial robots, which are usually highly specialized and used in clearly defined environments, AI-supported, humanoid systems can potentially operate in existing work environments designed for humans. This eliminates some of the time-consuming redesign of production processes. At the same time, new automation opportunities are opening up in areas that were previously difficult or impossible to automate.
“Humanoid robots were science fiction the day before yesterday, yesterday they were considered visionary and today they are becoming a real, business-relevant industrial topic,” explains Rückert. “It is crucial that Germany invests equally in the development and use of humanoid robots.”
However, the example of humanoid robotics makes it particularly clear how strongly industrial development is now influenced by AI. The technology no longer functions as an isolated application, but is developing into the central basic technology for development, production and operation. Their strategic importance is correspondingly high:
