Korean Robot Trained from the Way Hotel Employees Work, Workers Start to Worry

South Korea is starting to train robots in a very human way: by recording the movements of real workers. From how to fold a napkin, pick up items, to arranging food, all are collected into data to build an "AI brain" for robots.

Quoted from a Kyodo News report, Wednesday, May 13, South Korean AI startup, RLWRLD or "real world", is working with a number of companies to record the expertise of skilled workers. One of them is Lotte Hotel Seoul.

At the five-star hotel, David Park, a member of the food and beverage team, was fitted with cameras on his head, chest, and hands. He folded a banquet napkin as he had done thousands of times during his nine years of work.

"I do this about once a month," Park said.

Every movement is entered into a database. Later, the data is used to train the robot to do similar work.

RLWRLD also collected data from logistics workers at CJ. They recorded how workers grasped, lifted, and handled goods in warehouses. Other data was collected from staff of the Japanese convenience store chain Lawson, especially how they arranged food.

The goal is, RLWRLD wants to build AI software that can be used by robots in factories, workplaces, and even homes. The main focus is to imitate the agility of the human hand.

This technology is known as physical AI or physical AI. That is, the machine is equipped with AI and sensors to be able to see, decide, and then act in the real world. Unlike ordinary factory robots, physical AI is designed to handle more complex and not always repetitive tasks.

The South Korean government is also pushing in this direction. Last month, Seoul announced a $33 million project to record the skills of expert technicians into an AI-based manufacturing database.

RLWRLD estimates that industrial AI robots can be used on a large scale around 2028. Hyundai Motor also plans to use Boston Dynamics' humanoid robots at its global factories, starting in Georgia in 2028. Samsung Electronics aims to make all of its manufacturing facilities "AI-based factories" by 2030.

However, this ambition has made labor unions uneasy. They are worried that robots will take jobs and disrupt the regeneration of skilled workers.

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung called AI a "big cart" that cannot be stopped. He asked the trade unions to adapt to changes that come faster than expected.

"The mastery of skills is ultimately the achievement of human beings," said Kim Seok, Policy Director of the Confederation of Korean Trade Unions.

According to him, the widespread use of robots can "interrupt the path" of the birth of skilled labor. He asked the government and companies to have a dialogue with workers so that concerns about jobs are not left hanging.

For RLWRLD, the key to the future of robots is in the hands. Hyemin Cho, head of RLWRLD's business strategy, said the ability to perform delicate tasks will determine whether humanoids can be used in factories and homes.

"Recording motion data in the real environment is very important and the quality of the data is very decisive," he said.

Currently, humanoid is still far from perfect. To clean a hotel room that humans can complete in about 40 minutes, the robot still needs several hours.

Lotte Hotel hopes the robot will be ready to help with cleaning work and backstage tasks by 2029. Park estimates that the humanoid can take over 30-40 percent of the workload of preparing events in the back area.

"It will be difficult for them to replace the remaining 50, 60, and 70 percent, which involves direct human-to-human interaction," said Park.