Brookings Poll: 52% Say Robots Will Take Over in 30 Years

A majority of Internet users  — 52 percent — believe that within 30 years, robots will be able to handle most activities now done by humans, a Brookings Institute poll reported.

In survey results:

• 19 percent said that robots taking over human activities within 30 years was very likely.
• 33 percent said that robots handling activities within 30 years was somewhat likely.
• 23 percent said that robots taking over human activities was not very likely.

Those who took the poll were split about whether the government should regulate robots.

• 32 percent said that a Federal Robotics Commission should regulate robots.
• 29 percent said they should not.
• 39 percent were not sure.

The survey asked people what they would like robots to do:

• 20 percent want robots to help clean the house.
• 17 percent want robots to provide home security.
• 9 percent want robots to help care for children or aging relatives.

The survey also found that most people do not want to spend much money on a robot that handles routine chores:

• 42 percent would spend $1 to $250.
• 10 percent would spend $251 to $500.
• 3 percent would spend between $501 and $750, while another 3 percent would spend between $751 and $1,000, and another 3-percent group would be willing to spend over $1,000.
• 39 percent did not know how much they would be willing to pay or did not answer.

A majority of those who took the poll said they were uncomfortable around robots.

• 61 percent said they were "very" or "somewhat" uncomfortable around robots.
• 16 percent said they were "very" or "somewhat" comfortable around robots.
• 23 percent did not know or didn’t answer.

The poll was conducted between June 4 and June 6, 2018 in an online national poll of 2,021 adult Internet users, the Brookings poll report said.

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