About 30 robots marched through the streets of Warsaw, Poland, on Monday in an unusual protest calling for stronger regulations on artificial intelligence and robotisation.
The demonstration, organised by Democratism, an initiative focused on the impact of AI and automation on the labour market, featured humanoid and dog-like robots carrying flags and moving in circles while loudspeakers played slogans such as “Defend workplaces,” “Time for rules” and “Don’t wait, regulate.”
One of the humanoid robots, Agibot A3, told AFP that the demonstration was intended to highlight the fact that robotic technology was already becoming part of everyday life.
The organiser, Grzegorz Kulis, said the protest was aimed particularly at raising concerns over the potential replacement of human workers by humanoid robots and AI systems capable of performing cognitive tasks.
“If we don’t react now, we may soon have a problem,” Kulis said, calling for regulations to protect workers from the effects of rapid technological advancement.
He added that using robots in the demonstration was meant to draw public attention to their growing capabilities and the need for urgent action.
The unusual protest attracted passers-by and was also visited by Poland’s Digital Affairs Minister, Krzysztof Gawkowski, who warned about the risks associated with increasingly advanced AI systems being integrated into humanoid robots.
“Uncontrolled AI models, implemented into humanoids that will also keep evolving as robotisation moves forward, are a major problem,” Gawkowski said.
Kulis, who works in the robotics and employment sectors, said he felt a responsibility to raise awareness about the rapid pace of technological change.
“We feel responsible for starting to inform society about the rapid and dynamic technological changes which personally frighten us,” he said.
The demonstration comes as Poland moves to strengthen its implementation of the European Union’s AI regulations.
In July, Polish President Karol Nawrocki signed legislation establishing a national authority to oversee the enforcement of the EU AI Act, which had already formally entered into force.
