Uploaded February 2026 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago

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FROM THE ARCHIVES: Back in 1984, experts estimated that 4 million people would lose their jobs to robot workers by 1990. Over a decade before cell phones, Britannica examined the "myth and magic" of robots in a film called "The Robot Revolution." Will robots destroy the human job market? Can a robot arm be programmed to move around bricks and eggs? (We don't know why they tested this, either.)

What did we get right about robots back in 1984? Let us know in the comments.

00:00 Opening Credits
00:52 Industrial Revolution
02:36 Robot Revolution
03:23 Artificial Intelligence
05:09 Medicine
07:08 Architecture
08:04 Industrial Robots
10:10 Eggs
11:30 Future of Robotics
12:08 Economy
15:36 Robots as Tools

Learn more from Britannica:
Robots: britannica.com/technology/robot-technology
Artificial intelligence: britannica.com/technology/artificial-intelligence
Machine learning: britannica.com/technology/machine-learning
Eggs: britannica.com/topic/egg-food

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