Robots Win Trust First at Work

Hexagon published its global Robot Generation study on June 16, based on responses from 9,000 adults and 9,000 children aged 8 to 18 across nine countries. The central finding is clear: acceptance of robots depends heavily on the task and the setting. According to the study, 68% of adults would prefer a robot to handle lifting and transporting heavy items, 54% would choose a robot for carrying and delivery, and 52% for monitoring hazards. But only 12% would choose a robot for caregiving, while 71% prefer a human to care for sick people, older people or children.

That result cuts through a simplistic view of consumer robotics. Respondents are not rejecting robots outright. They are drawing boundaries around them. Factories and warehouses are the most acceptable ground: 63% of adults say they are comfortable with robots in those environments, compared with 45% in hospitals and clinics, and 39% in classrooms. The ranking matters because it lines up with the most mature uses of robotics today: materials handling, inspection, measurement, cleaning, internal transport and repetitive operations. In other words, trust rises when the robot performs a defined, visible and limited job.

The study also shows a generation that is more familiar with these machines. Children follow the same pattern as adults for physical tasks, with 69% preferring a robot for heavy lifting and 59% for carrying or delivery. They are also 50% more likely than adults to view robots as “full colleagues” at work. But greater openness does not mean fewer rules. Hexagon says 86% of adults consider it essential to define clearly what robots can and cannot do. The main concerns named in the release are security, reliability and trust.

For robotics companies, the practical message is sharper than a broad enthusiasm survey. The market is not only asking for more expressive humanoids or impressive demonstrations. It is asking for legible functions, explicit limits and safety evidence in environments where mistakes can be contained. Useful robots may therefore have to start where their role is obvious: moving, measuring, inspecting, cleaning and alerting. More sensitive uses, such as care, education or workplace authority, will probably need to remain assistive before they become autonomous. The short lesson is sober: robotics adoption will not be decided by technical performance alone, but by the clarity of the social contract around each task.