Warsaw witnessed an unusual protest on Monday as about 30 robots took to the streets, waving flags, marching in circles and “chanting” slogans demanding tighter regulation of artificial intelligence and greater protection for workers whose jobs could be threatened by automation. The robot demonstrators gathered in front of Poland’s digital……

Warsaw witnessed an unusual protest on Monday as about 30 robots took to the streets, waving flags, marching in circles and “chanting” slogans demanding tighter regulation of artificial intelligence and greater protection for workers whose jobs could be threatened by automation.

The robot demonstrators gathered in front of Poland’s digital affairs ministry as they called for urgent action to address the growing impact of AI and robotics on the labour market.

The unusual protest was organised by Democratism, an initiative that says it seeks to stimulate debate “on how AI and robotisation affect the labour market”.

Among the demonstrators was Agibot A3, an AI-powered humanoid robot, which told AFP that the machines were being used to demonstrate that the technology was no longer a distant possibility.

READ ALSO: Pharmacists Challenge NAFDAC’s 70% Drug Import Reduction Claim

“The robots present here are meant to show that this technology is already a reality,” Agibot A3 said.

The procession featured different types of robots, ranging from bipedal humanoids to dog-like quadrupeds, as loudspeakers blared slogans including: “Defend workplaces”, “Time for rules”, and “Don’t wait, regulate”.

For the organisers, the spectacle was intended to send a serious warning about the pace at which artificial intelligence and robotics are advancing.

“We particularly want to address the issue of the potential replacement of people both by humanoid robots and by artificial intelligence in cognitive work,” organiser Grzegorz Kulis told AFP.

“If we don’t react now, we may soon have a problem,” he added, calling for “rules and regulations that would serve as a shield protecting workers”.

Kulis said the decision to put robots at the centre of the demonstration was deliberate, arguing that their ability to operate in public spaces illustrated how quickly the technology was developing.

“Besides attracting the attention of several passers-by, Kulis said the use of robots was meant to show their existing capabilities and thereby, the urgency of the situation.”

“These robots can already move around freely, they’re already ‘protesting’,” he said.

The unusual demonstration also drew the attention of Poland’s Digital Affairs Minister Krzysztof Gawkowski, who visited the scene and spoke with Kulis.

Gawkowski warned that the continued development of AI-powered humanoid robots could create serious challenges if the technology remained inadequately controlled.

“Uncontrolled (AI) models, implemented into humanoids that will also keep evolving as robotisation moves forward, are a major problem,” he said.

Kulis, who is now CIO of a robotics company and CEO of an employment agency, has previously served two terms on the Labor Market Council at Poland’s Ministry of Family, Labor and Social Policy.

He said those behind the demonstration felt compelled to raise public awareness about the speed of technological change.

“We feel responsible for starting to inform society about the rapid and dynamic technological changes which personally frighten us,” Kulis told AFP.

The protest comes as Poland continues implementing the European Union’s regulatory framework for artificial intelligence.

In July, Poland’s conservative-nationalist President Karol Nawrocki signed into law a bill proposed by the digital affairs ministry to put the EU AI Act into practice.

The legislation created a national authority responsible for enforcing existing EU regulations, which had already formally come into force.

AFP