The surge in robotics in manufacturing and beyond is really something of a supply chain megatrend - with impacts on society almost certain to be signficant.

One region in China, for example, has an official government program to replace factory workers with robots, with one company there reducing employment at its manufacturing plant by a stunning 80%.

It's more than just reducing labor costs that are fueling the rise of the robots, says John Santagate, an analyst at IDC Manufacturing Insights. What's more, what is happening in China right now is likely to offer a window into how this human-robot dynamic plays out, as workers lose jobs to more and more machines

Please view this brief video discussion between Santagate and SCDigest editor Dan Gilmore now.