Warehouse workers at Hitach are now bowing down to the instructions of their robot overlords. The multinational conglomerate company has implemented a new artificial intelligence (A.I.) system to an unknown number of warehouses that dictates the behavior of workers—not the other way around.

The A.I. system doesn’t just blindly issue timeless preprogrammed orders. Instead, it conjures up new, creative ways to boost work productivity as the world changes. In particular, the computer analyzes ways employees tackle various problems, and then selects and implements those solutions which prove most effective. It’s a kind of artificial selection that weeds out dead end strategies in the work place. (1)

Kaizen or Ca-ching?

The idea behind the technology is known as kaizen, or constant improvement; a theme that Hitach has been consistently pushing since it first premeired the A.I. system.

“‘By integrating the AI into business systems, it may become possible to realize efficient operations in a diverse range of areas through human and AI cooperation,” stated the company. (2)

The A.I. system isn’t bound to preprogrammed instructions. Its flexibility incorporates unexpected twists and turns on site, changes in weather patters, and shifts in demand. (1)

Hitach claims that productivity levels have increased by eight percent in A.I.-run houses versus non-A.I. run warehouses. The company plans to expand this technology to other warehouses in the years to come. (1)

In addition, the company issued a new warehouse robot that was capable of picking up items twice as fast as previous warehouse robots. It has two arms that work independently. The mean, lean, multitasking machine is expected to hit the market in five years. In other words, robots occupy both the seat and chain of command at Hitach’s warehouses. (2)

A First of Its Kind

While Hitach is the first company to implement robot overlords in the workplace, they’re not the first to use autonomous warehouses robots. Amazon and Diapers.com already use autonomous robots equipped with an A.I. algorithm to deliver products to customers. The autonomous robots are guided by floor stickers that they scan. They are capable of lifting and transporting shelves that contain up to 750 pounds worth of merchandise, and selecting specific items from the shelves upon request. (1)

Facebook has jumped on the A.I. bandwagon as well. The social media behemoth is launching a new virtual assistant, Facebook M, that fuses A.I. with a team of human helpers. Contrary to other A.I. based services on the market, Facebook M is an extension of yourself. It will aid in completing various tasks on your behalf, such as purchasing and delivering gifts to loved ones. (3)

Fortunately, Facebook helpers have more of a handle on the A.I. system than the A.I. system has on them. Human “trainers” guide the A.I. system when various tasks become too complex for the machine to handle on its own. Unlike Facebook M, however, the A.I. system used by Hitach requires no human intervention. (1)

And unlike the warehouse autonomous robots used by websites, the A.I. system used by Hitach is prized for its brain rather than its muscles. The company plans to expand the technology to other markets, including health care, finance and transport. (1)

Sources include:

(1) PopSci.com
(2) Dailymail.co.uk
(3) TheGuardian.com