How well do you take orders? Well, it seems that we humans are a strange lot, at least according to this particular research that hails from folks over at the MIT which confirms how within a two-human, one-robot team that are working together toward a common goal, it would be the humans who would prefer the robot be in charge. Orders from robots are preferred where handling a manufacturing task is concerned, and it looks as though with a robot in charge of the team, the entire enterprise might be more productive.
Could this be due to the possibility that no one wants to take responsibility just in case something goes wrong? Sure, efficiency is important to make sure that this world runs on time and in the best manner possible, but good luck having that order dispensing robot sympathize with you when your beloved pet dog dies, and you need to take some time off to grieve.
Strangely enough though, the workers in this study happened to say that they were more likely to mention that the robots “better understood them” and “improved the efficiency of the team.” Of course, this does not mean that robots will run the show from now on, as the robots still happen to use a human-generated algorithm to delegate, schedule, and coordinate tasks. All in all, would you prefer a robot or a human to be the one giving you orders?
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