It's kind of funny to read dudes going on about
AI and Robotics like it'll be some magical fix all in 20 years time.
Specifically the idea of a Robot as a therapist.
AI barely has robots that can make simple decisions on their
own and they struggle with the fuzzy logic of language
so the idea of one comforting old folks or
treating a patient like a seasoned nurse would, is hilarious.
There is a certain context you and I have as human beings
we can understand the world in a way that allows us to
navigate it competently, a robot isn't born with this.
Also for the people using "AI" (really just robots in factories)
as a reason why people will be put out of work you have to understand
that these robots don't really have "AI", they're programmed
machines that are set to do a very specific task and that's all they can
do.
They can't assess work and see flaws like a human would.
They can't determine if a screw is messed up or if the paint
isn't drying.
This all has to be taken into account by the programmers
and engineers beforehand and whoever is left
behind to maintain these machines afterwards.
This is why you'll likely need human operators in the future
that can write programs, clear up errors by hand
and design these machines for use.
Robotics as you know it, likely won't be C3P0 and r2d2 in ths decade or the next.
Robotics is next up though, the next Bill Gates or Steve Jobs will likely
be a robotics guy.