Academician of the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts and Professor at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Slobodan Vukosavić, whose primary fields of scientific research include industrial robotics, believes that robotisation is extremely important but also brings negative consequences, such as a reduction in the number of jobs and increasing social stratification caused by the disappearance of the middle class.
He believes that the announced production of Chinese humanoid robots in Serbia is not the optimal solution and points out that Serbia has a rich tradition in robotics, with university laboratories that have been developing industrial robot control systems since the 1960s.
Vukosavić also states that, in his view, investment in science amounts to less than 0.4 per cent of GDP, which he considers insufficient for development and innovation.
Commenting on the importance of robotisation and artificial intelligence for modern industry, Academician Vukosavić says that they are extremely important. More broadly, however, he sees robotisation as the natural evolution of humanity’s efforts to expand its capabilities, which remain inherently limited.
“Human beings dominate the planet, yet our mechanical capabilities are limited in terms of strength, speed and precision. Furthermore, none of us would want to spend 24 hours a day repeating tedious movements. Human beings also have limited cognitive abilities. In some respects we are constrained; we cannot recall a specific piece of information buried in the sea of perhaps 2,500 terabytes of information stored in the average human brain. Robots are primarily used in industry, the military, medicine, automated transport and other applications where we do not want to place a human being, either because it is too dangerous or simply too monotonous. They are also used where we require a consistent level of quality. Robotics means repeatability of operations,” Vukosavić explains.
Social stratification and the loss of the middle class as the downside of robotisation
Commenting on China’s enormous investment in robotics despite possessing the world’s largest workforce, and its development of factories without human workers, Vukosavić explains that an automated production model, in which no human hand touches the product, guarantees quality, reduces costs and minimises expenses. He notes that the Japanese automotive industry was the first to introduce this concept.
However, he emphasises that the darker side of this process is the reduction in employment opportunities and the growing division within society.
“Robots have negative aspects because they effectively reduce the number of jobs. We would like to free people from repetitive, non-creative work. However, what actually happens is that we end up with increasing numbers of people for whom we do not know what role they can play, and this creates social tensions. In practice, we are losing a segment of the population known as the middle class, which historically formed the basis for recruiting skilled personnel and sustaining democratic decision-making. As a result, entire societies are becoming increasingly stratified,” Vukosavić believes.
Regarding the production of Chinese humanoid robots in Serbia, announced by the President of Serbia during his visit to China, Vukosavić argues that such robots are not the optimal solution for industry, the military, transport or medicine. Instead, he believes their primary purpose is to divert public attention.
He explains that the most sophisticated industrial robots are not visually attractive, whereas humanoid robots are, in his words, “charming” and therefore well suited to populist political interests.
“The most advanced robots, those that manufacture highly sophisticated products such as microprocessors, contain an enormous amount of knowledge and technology. Yet if you look at them, or if televise on cameras filmed them, you would not see anything particularly exciting or romantic. This is where humanoid robots have an advantage. They are highly appealing. Observers begin to imagine that we are creating an automated human being. As a result, humanoid robots can achieve something that other robots cannot. If you run a research laboratory and create a robot that dances a traditional folk dance or performs some similar activity, your chances of obtaining funding become much greater. Likewise, if you are a pragmatic and populist politician who primarily serves your own interests, and then the interests of companies that support you financially, you inevitably do so at the expense of ordinary people. In order to prevent the public from noticing this, you need to provide stories that divert their attention. What could do that better than a robot playing football or boxing? If you are that type of politician, a humanoid robot is extremely valuable. Joking aside, however, if you are an ordinary citizen, you do not need it. It distracts you while someone quietly picks your pocket,” Vukosavić told Insajder.
“Investment in science is less than 0.4 per cent”
Commenting on the fact that Serbia’s total expenditure on scientific research and development in 2024 amounted to less than one per cent of GDP, or just over €770 million, Vukosavić argues that the official statistics include spending that does not genuinely contribute to scientific progress.
“That is the official statistic, but I must point out that it includes expenditures that do not actually support science, such as purchasing buildings merely to spend allocated funds, or acquiring equipment simply so that someone can profit from the procurement process. According to my information, actual investment in science today amounts to less than 0.4 per cent. In practical terms, science objectively represents an obstacle for governments that wish to pursue the kind of policies our authorities are pursuing. It is, so to speak, a spoke in the wheel. Science is considered useful only when it can provide pseudo-scientific justification for decisions that are, in reality, highly questionable,” concludes Slobodan Vukosavić, Academician of the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts and Professor at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering in Belgrade.
(Insajder, 15.06.2026)