What Makes a Job Dull, Dirty, or Dangerous? (opens in new tab)

For years, the field of robotics has used the terms “dull, dirty, and dangerous” (DDD) to describe the types of tasks or jobs where robots might be useful—by doing work that’s undesirable for people. A classic example of a DDD job is one of “repetitive physical labor on a steaming hot factory floor involving heavy machinery that threatens life and limb.”But determining which human activities fit into these categories is not as straightforward as it seems. What exactly is a “dull” task and who...