If you’re one of those people terrified at the thought of robots doing human work (as this somehow signals the start of their reign–remember I, Robot?), this news just might be the start of your worst nightmare:  Foxconn, the producer of Apple iPhones and iPads, has opted to go robotic.

Foxconn has been under scrutiny regarding their employees work conditions, i.e. the environment is not suitable for employees to work in.  So the company thought it’s time to shake things up.  Foxconn currently has 1.2 million employees and 10, 000 robots, and now has aims to increase their robot workforce to 300,000 in the next three years.

“Workers’ wages are increasing so quickly that some companies can’t take it longer,” said Dan Bin, a fund manager at Shenzhen-based Eastern Bay Investment Management, which invests in technology and consumer-related shares in China and Hong Kong.

“Automation is a general trend in many sectors in China, such as electronics. Of course some companies will consider moving their manufacturing overseas, but it’s easier said than done when the supply chain is here.”

Though this move will increase productivity, this will also mean a lot of people will lose their jobs.  Right now, the company is clearly more focused in production rather than their employees.  Instead of creating or improving the workplace conducive for optimal production, the company resorted into taking on robots, who do not complain or commit suicide, limiting opportunities to further tarnish their already dim reputation.  So much for human progress.  Foxconn is clearly on the machines’ side if ever an I, Robot scenario does occur.

But Foxconn CEO Terry Gou stated in a company speech that the move is not downgrade on human production but to move the company’s workers “higher up the value chain, beyond basic manufacturing work.”

So what is Apple doing about this?  Nothing, really. They’re busy looking into tapping Pegatron, the company responsible for Apple’s CDMA iPhone 4, to end their dependence on FoxConn’s production and to diversify manufacturing and assembly.