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MANILA - With a few taps on a tablet screen, a robotic arm learns a new movement and does it on loop, illustrating the potential of artificial intelligence in the workplace, a robot-maker said Wednesday.

Such "pick and place" movements can be used to compliment humans in farms and factories and even in the hospitality industry, said Shermine Gotfredsen, Universal Robots general manager for Asia and Oceania.

Robots are unlikely to replace humans entirely as only 10 percent of jobs can be replaced with artificial intelligence. Up to 2 million jobs are expected to be created as machines need human operators, Gotfredsen told ANC's Early Edition.

"I don't think robots will come in and take over human jobs. Instead, humans can take this opportunity to upskill to operate the machines and use the tech to support their work," she said.

The rise of artificial intelligence is felt in the Philippines' business process outsourcing industry, with the government urging call center workers to upgrade their skills to ride the automation wave.

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Investments in "collaborative robots," or those that work with humans, can cost from 20,000 to 30,000 euros (P1.28 million to P1.92 million), Gotfredsen said.

"Anything that human arms can do, the robot can mimic that and replicate the movement thereby automating the work task," she said.