Watch: Robo-Forklifts That Can't Get Sick Nor Unionize Hit Warehouse Floors

By the 2030s, or even sooner, robots might dominate warehouses, displacing millions of jobs. In the latest wave of automation advancements, a Japanese tech firm has just unveiled a self-driving forklift. 

Japan's only public broadcaster (NHK) said NEC Corporation developed an industrial forklift powered by AI that allows intelligent, real-time decisions, delivering materials on the warehouse floor to the right place at the right time. 

"Of these, NEC developed a system that makes forklifts automatically operate, and is characterized by the fact that it can be operated unmanned by attaching cameras and sensors later," NHK said. 

NEC said the goal of the robot forklift is to "alleviate the labor shortage in the logistics field and reviewing long working hours, and plans to put it into practical use next fiscal year."

"I want to contribute to creating a better environment at the same time as making the warehouse site run smoothly," said Junichiro Yonetake of NEC's DX Offering Management Department.

倉庫などで無人作業 自動運転フォークリフト 開発の動き相次ぐhttps://t.co/ZfOj6CAwq2#nhk_video pic.twitter.com/x6nOARBgoi

— NHKニュース (@nhk_news) August 28, 2023

Yet we all know the proliferation of automation in warehouses will result in job loss in the millions, if not more, in the years ahead. We've explained for years when this ill-fated day will arrive for human warehouse workers:

• 2019: This New Robot Will Take Millions Of Warehouse Jobs
• 2022: Amazon Unveils Warehouse Robot To Replace Human Pickers Amid Unionization Threats
• 2023: If You're A Warehouse Worker. This Boston Dynamics Video Might Be An Ominous Sign

In March, a note titled "AI Will Lead To 300 Million Layoffs In The US And Europe" was shared with our pro subscribers. It detailed the jobs currently at risk due to AI and automation.

Remember, robots don't get sick, nor can they unionize.