Humanoid robots shine at Web Summit 2024, shaping future of automation

As the tech world gathers in Lisbon, Portugal for the Web Summit 2024, AI-powered humanoid robots have emerged as the stars of the event, captivating visitors with their futuristic designs and advanced capabilities. 

For years, humanoid robots only existed in science fiction. Now, they are moving closer to becoming a daily reality. At the Web Summit 2024, one of the world's largest technological innovation events, humanoid robot roll-outs by companies from California to Beijing are promising to free people from mundane tasks, revolutionizing industries in the process.

The Kiwi robot, developed by a Colombian-owned startup company, has been a big hit in the U.S., Europe, Asia and beyond. The Kiwi started out just delivering food, but now the creators are dreaming big as AI has enabled it to incorporate advertising, scan roads for rubbish and interact with people in the street. 

"So if you think about a movie like 'Blade Runner' or 'Back to the Future', we were promised and we've had these visions of what the future could look like. We're finally seeing that come to life through technology companies like Kiwi Bot. And we see robotics being the largest industry over the next ten years with almost applications in every single industry," said Judah Longgrear, co-founder of Kiwibot. 

The robot revolution is gathering momentum. Tech billionaire Elon Musk has predicted that by 2040, there could be as many as 10 billion humanoid robots, performing tasks such as cooking, cleaning, and doing laundry. Each robot, he estimates, could cost between 20,000 and 25,000 U.S. dollars.

Advances in AI technology are at the heart of this revolution. In German industrial plants, cyber dogs already communicate with each other as they undertake dangerous tasks like sniffing out gas leaks and detecting chemical spills.  These robots are not just tools but are seen as critical players in addressing some of humanity's most pressing challenges.

For Marc Dassler, CEO of Energy Robotics Germany, automation is also a response to a demographic shift that is leaving firms struggling to find enough workers. As experienced "baby boomers" retire, the workforce is shrinking, and there are not enough younger  people to fill the gap.

"There's a big need of automation simply because we're running out of humans. There is a demographic shift happening. The baby boomers are going (inaudible) and the new generations are not big enough to carry everything what is previously done by the baby boomers. So there's a need on the outside to really move those tasks away from humans, towards automation, towards robotics, towards IOT," said Dassler.

Robots are already taking over a range of industries. From serving food to managing warehouse logistics, working in car factories or driving taxis, humanoid robots are quickly becoming integrated into daily life, despite fears that humans could eventually end up working for the robots.

The Web Summit 2024 kicked off on Monday and will last through Thursday, drawing over 3,000 companies including IBM and Huawei to exhibit their latest products, with AI emerging as the most represented industry.

Humanoid robots shine at Web Summit 2024, shaping future of automation

Venezuela is working to stabilize consumers prices and ensure domestic supply in response to U.S. sanctions by further improving domestic productivity.

Long-standing sanctions on Venezuela's oil industry have hindered the country's ability to generate adequate foreign currency, leading to heightened inflation and significant shortages of essential imported goods.

In shifting its focus towards increasing domestic production rather than depending on exports, Venezuela has managed to stabilize prices for some goods, said Juan Carlos Valdes, an economist.

"Although the blockade has severely damaged the Venezuelan economy, it has also forced us to manufacture our own goods. Because we cannot buy from abroad, we have to focus on local production, and this shift has stabilized prices in various sectors," he said.

Valdes said that investment in domestic manufacturing is contributing to reducing inflation.

"There is no doubt that local production is helping to slow inflation. We hope that ultimately it will not only curb inflation but also achieve complete price stabilization in Venezuela," he said.

Angel Arteaga, the manager of an 80-year-old state-run edible oil factory, said that the production in the factory has continued uninterrupted despite U.S. attacks earlier this year.

"Our production remains steady and has not been impacted by the U.S. military actions. We refuse to raise product prices or costs just because of unforeseen factors or variables," he said.

Data from the Venezuelan Ministry of Food indicates that by the end of 2025, the country had achieved 97 percent food self-sufficiency through domestic production.

In an earlier speech, Venezuela's acting President Delcy Rodriguez said that overall consumption in the county in January increased by 32 percent compared to the same period last year.

Consumer prices stable in Venezuela as focus turns to enhancing domestic productivity