After decades of stops and starts, unmet expectations, and continued public concern over whether machines will replace people, it’s difficult to imagine anyone in the robotics field expressing joy over what they do. The founder of UiPath Inc. is a notable exception.

“I started UiPath to have joy at work, to do what I like, to build something big,” said Daniel Dines (pictured), founder and chief executive officer of UiPath. “You see people becoming joyful when we show them the robotics. This is nirvana.”

Dines spoke with Dave Vellante (@dvellante) and Stu Miniman (@stu), co-hosts of theCUBE, SiliconANGLE Media’s mobile livestreaming studio, during the UiPathForward Americas event in Miami Beach, Florida. They discussed the company’s work in computer vision technology, an ambitious hiring plan, and a goal to teach students automation skills. (* Disclosure below.)

Computer vision is key

Founded 13 years ago, UiPath devoted its early years to working on computer vision technology for its robotic platform. It was difficult, but important work because automation has been limited by issues with accuracy and flexibility in a wide range of working environments.

“We spent seven years building a computer vision technology that was of little use back then,” Dines said. “We did it just because we liked it. Now this is our powerful weapon, because what is important for this robot is to be accurate and to be able to work in any situation.”

The company recently boosted its unicorn valuation to $3 billion, thanks to a new round of $225 million in funding. UiPath executives told conference attendees that the firm will grow to 4,000 employees over the next year, which strikes some industry analysts as unusual headcount growth for a startup software company.

For Dines, the ambitious hiring goal is part of building a strong customer service-oriented company. “We hired more than 1,000 people in the last year alone,” explained Dines, who pointed out that UiPath will also expand from 2,000 to 5,000 customers over the next year. “We need all of these people, because this technology is at the intersection of software and services. We need to help our customers scale.”

In addition to hiring thousands of employees, UiPath has an ambitious goal to teach 1 million students automation skills. “Change management is the cornerstone of delivering this technology,” Dines said. “There is inertia; there is fear, and at the same time automation and training will solve this issue. We have to think big.”

Watch the complete video interview below, and be sure to check out more of SiliconANGLE’s and theCUBE’s coverage of the UiPathForward Americas event. (* Disclosure: TheCUBE is a paid media partner for UiPathForward Americas. Neither UiPath Inc, the event sponsor, nor other sponsors have editorial control over content on theCUBE or SiliconANGLE.)

Photo: SiliconANGLE