Intel introduces its newest employee, Chip the robotic inspector, just after announcing mass human layoffs

It was during Intel’s Direct Connect Keynote for 2025 that I witnessed this atrocity of cyberpunk dystopic proportions. After being reassured by the brand that it would be listening to customers in its outlined roadmap, the team from automation was welcomed to the stage to go over some of their improvements. Excitedly they introduce us to their newest team member and Chip a robot dog Intel has worked on with Boston Dynamics takes the stage and obediently gives a bow to the audience.

This could be cute, or funny, or even just quirky if it wasn’t an incredible slap in the face to all the Intel employees currently worried about losing their jobs. It was only a few days ago reports the company was planning on laying off around 20,000 staff members surfaced. Intel’s new CEO has since said these numbers are exaggerated, but has still confirmed layoffs are to come. Imagine you’re waiting to hear if you’ve got the sack while your boss trots out a new robot employee.

Intel’s Robotics Architect, Joe Robison, shows off Chips abilities on stage with a demonstration using one of the company’s motors. The motor was heated up back stage using a heat lamp to simulate an overheating part in the factory. They demonstrate the thermal imaging, and explain that this information would be sent to a diagnostic computer that would automatically generate a ticket for this overheating monitor.

“Data is like gold, and Chip allows us to expand the amount of data we collect from our assets, allowing us to understand the health of our assets and fix them before failure,” Robison boasts of his metal coworker.

“Chip enables our workforce to be more productive. We have a full robotic fleet of robots just like Chip around the globe at our facilities and they’re helping to make work in our facilities smarter, safer, and more efficient,” adds Intel robotics engineer, Jessica Unwin.

Yes, in all honesty I’m a big fan of robots in the workplace. But that should never be at the expense of human livelihoods. Yes, we should absolutely have robots doing as much work as possible, they’re often better at it and more efficient. But we need to be putting the effort and money saved back into the community. Absolutely let the robots take our jobs. Jobs they can take usually suck. Just give people a way to live.

If Intel had trotted out Chip and then announced it would be creating a universal basic income scheme based on the savings the company was amassing by using Chip, then I’d be clapping along with the audience. As it stands, it just seems like bad taste during a difficult time.