Chief Robotics Officer

Robots have been used in factories since the 1970s. For years, plant managers, lower-level robotics professionals, and, later, chief technology officers or other information technology (IT) executives supervised the installation and management of robotics systems. But the emergence of advanced manufacturing—which incorporates advanced robotics, artificial intelligence, and other emerging technologies—created a need for specialized workers to help businesses integrate robotics technology into their existing systems and interface successfully with their human workforces. In the last decade, many corporate executives have realized that the growing complexity and ubiquity of robotics systems have created a need for an executive-level position to manage ongoing and strategic automation endeavors. As a result, the position of chief robotics officer was created at companies and other organizations that were deeply invested—or planned to make significant investments—in robotics and other automation technology.