What is the role of artificial intelligence in robotics?

• A. It allows for more flexibility and new applications for robots.
• B. It restricts the applications of robots.
• C. It makes robots slower and less reliable.
• D. It eliminates the need for sensors.

Answer: (A)

AI in robotics gives machines the ability to perceive, reason, and act in changing environments. By interpreting sensor data, recognizing patterns, making decisions, and learning from experience, a robot becomes more flexible and capable of tackling new tasks without being reprogrammed for each situation. This expansion of capability leads to new applications in autonomous navigation, adaptive manipulation, human-robot collaboration, and intelligent fault detection. Sensors remain essential; AI processes their data to derive meaning and drive actions, rather than replacing the need for sensing. AI doesn’t inherently slow systems or reduce reliability; with efficient algorithms and hardware, it can improve performance and robustness by better perception, planning, and control.