Your Robot Assistant Will Soon Be Able to Read Your Emotions

In South Korea, the country with the world’s fastest internet speeds, the transition to 5G networks is also leading to an era of interactive robots. South Korea switched on 5G networks nationwide in April, with data speeds of about 1.5 gigabits per second. Businesses are counting on 5G to deliver artificial-intelligence-based robots, 3D content, and holograms that they say will someday be a part of people’s daily lives.

The higher speeds will enable companies including automakers and wireless carriers to connect devices with vehicles, home appliances, and buildings. And because the country also boasts the world’s highest robot density, some of these same companies, such as Hyundai, LG, and Samsung, are trying to develop bots that will provide some fixes for problems like a rapidly aging population and rising labor costs.