Från maskin till samverkande aktörer : Embodied intelligence och organiseringen av industrielltarbete

Sammanfattning

This study examines how embodied intelligence robots are understood in relation to industrial work and technological development. It focuses on how embodied intelligence robots may influence work roles, work processes, and productivity in industrial environments. It also explores broader organisational and societal questions related to the development and implementation of technology.The study is based on a qualitative research design. It draws on seven semi-structured interviews with researchers, engineers, AI developers, and professionals working with robotics and technological infrastructure in Europe and China. The empirical material is analyzed through a sociotechnical perspective informed by Sociotechnical Systems Theory (STS), Actor-Network Theory (ANT), and the Distributed Sociotechnical Agency Model (DSAM). The findings show that embodied intelligence is understood as a complex and still developing phenomenon. The findings further highlight how technological systems, organisational structures, and institutional conditions interact in the implementation of EI-robots. The interviews also raise questions concerning safety, regulation, infrastructure, labour organisation, and economic implementation. At the same time, the practical applications and long-term societal consequences of embodied intelligence remain uncertain and difficult to predict. The study, therefore, suggests that embodied intelligence should be understood not only as a technological innovation but also as a sociotechnical phenomenon connected to broader industrial and organisational transformations.