Robots are going to be used in future aircraft to replace humans and reduce the number of people needed for operation. Take Aurora’s ALIAS for instance. The Aircrew Labor In-Cockpit Automation System uses a robotic manipulator to interact with aircraft controls.
The robot comes machine vision, speech recognition, and a tablet-based user interface. It has already been used to operate 3 aircraft. It was used under the supervision of a pilot during these tests.