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Robot Expo In Tokyo Sparks Labor Questions

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Some incredible robots are on display in Japan, but they're causing a bit of controversy.

Almost twice as many companies took part in this year's RoboDex Expo in Tokyo as there were last year. Nearly 200 companies gathered to showcase the latest in robot technology.

One robot caught people's eyes as it neatly folded a t-shirt in about two minutes. A visitor said it did housework better than his wife.

The expo is triggering a debate on the future of human labor. That same visitor said the robots will soon compete with humans for jobs.

In contrast, some robot developers said machines could solve labor shortages.

Expo organizers said that the service industry robots to grow by nearly 9 times by 2030.

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