{"id":"9f5f30596f760fd4720f557223c60e2adda35165eafcf88feef0a8ce1caad6a6","title":"MIT Technology Review reports pandemic could speed workplace robot adoption","argument":"MIT Technology Review’s article, published June 17, 2020, argues that the covid-19 pandemic could accelerate the use of robots in workplaces, while increasing the risks of job loss for some workers. It describes robots helping with hospital deliveries and other tasks, and reports that Diligent Robotics was considering how its Moxi robot could assist clinical staff with riskier work. Moxi had not yet been used in critical care, intensive care, or covid-19 units.\n\nThe article contrasts these uses with automation in warehouses and other workplaces. It recounts worker Brian Tieszen’s account of a back injury and reports that Amazon said its robots made warehouse work safer and easier. The article argues that employers might have stronger incentives to replace workers if people are seen as a source of infection. 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