A group of around 30 robots took to the streets of Warsaw on Monday, carrying flags, chanting slogans and marching in circles outside Poland’s Ministry of Digital Affairs. Their demand was clear: artificial intelligence and robotics need stronger rules and regulations.
The protest was organized by an organization called Democracy, which says on its website that it aims to spark a discussion about how AI and automation are affecting employment.
One of the protesters, an AI-powered humanoid robot named Agibot A3, told AFP that the robots wanted to demonstrate that the technology was no longer a distant possibility but a present reality.
Slogans played over loudspeakers included “Protect jobs,” “We need regulations” and “Regulate without delay.” The robots taking part ranged from bipedal humanoid machines to four-legged robots resembling dogs.
“We particularly want to draw attention to the possibility that humanoid robots and artificial intelligence could replace human workers in intellectual jobs,” said Grzegorz Kulis, one of the organizers.
“If we do not respond now, we could soon face serious problems,” Kulis said, stressing the need for laws and regulations to protect workers.
Kulis said the robots were used not only to attract public attention but also to demonstrate what they are already capable of doing—and to highlight the urgency of the issue.
“These robots can already move around on their own. They can already ‘protest,’” he said.
Poland’s Digital Affairs Minister Krzysztof Gawkowski visited the protest site and spoke with Kulis.
“Unregulated AI models being integrated into humanoid robots, which will become increasingly advanced as robotization progresses, are a major problem,” the minister said.
Kulis currently serves as chief information officer at a robotics company and CEO of a recruitment firm. He previously served two terms on the Labour Market Council under Poland’s Ministry of Family, Labour and Social Policy.
“We feel a responsibility to start informing society about rapid and dynamic technological changes,” Kulis told AFP. “Personally, these changes also frighten us.”
In July, Poland’s conservative-nationalist President Karol Nawrocki signed into law legislation proposed by the Ministry of Digital Affairs to implement the European Union’s AI Act.
The legislation established a national authority tasked with enforcing existing EU rules on artificial intelligence, which had already formally entered into force.
