You are thinking of office work, but there are a LOT of jobs that will be permanently replaced by AI-driven robotics, like fast food workers, retail shelf stockers, drivers, warehouse work, etc. Those are workers that can’t be easily trained UP, and many will likely become permanently unemployed.
That has been happening for decades. It hasn’t actually made retail that much more automated, just massively reduced quality of service and quality of work for those remaining. Every store that has followed these methods still gets customers due to increased isolation and lack of choice, but no one likes going there.
Yeah, they’ve been sneaking in industry killing technology for years. I had a nice career in the record business as a sales manager to retailers, until they shifted all music to easily pirated digital files on the Internet, closing 99% of the record stores in the country, and 1000s of people like me lost their jobs nearly overnight, without the media noticing it at all.
The tech to make any fast food outlet almost fully robotic is available right now, and every fast food corporation has a plan to implement it some point, and fire all those pesky humans. The only reason they haven’t done it, is because they know there will be a huge outcry, and almost certainly a crippling boycott of whichever company dives in first.
But make no mistake, as soon as one does it, they’ll ALL do it, and MILLIONS of fast food workers are going to lose their jobs. Teens, retirees, working moms, second incomes, etc., are all going to be in trouble.
Oh yeah. Very correct. They’re actively trying. I’m aware of some taco bells that have implemented AI ordering, but, as you said, people fucking hate it, and AI struggles with orders like “I’ll have 14,000 free waters” and then the system crashes for several minutes. People I know have consistently gotten meals comped because it’s failed in one way or another, so they’re abandoning it, for now
I don’t buy that. There’s little reason to automate those jobs because the labor is so cheap. And as someone who has worked most of those jobs in the past, most of those workers could be easily trained for different jobs; most are actively taking it upon themselves to train to get out of them.
Labor is cheap? Most cities are approaching $15 an hour, and even those immoral states that keep it at the Federal minimum of $7.75, a robot is still going to be cheaper in the long run. Then there are benefits, payroll taxes, personal issues, schedules, etc. People are a pain in the ass, and expensive in a lot more ways than money.
Besides, it almost certainly won’t be up to the franchisee. When corporate decides that they can be more efficient and more PROFITABLE with automation, the stores will go along with it, whether they like it or not.
It’s not an if, it’s a when. It’s definitely going to happen.
I think you might be underestimating the costs of upkeep and repair of those robots. The McCorps will have to figure that piece out before they can go balls-deep on automation.
You are thinking of office work, but there are a LOT of jobs that will be permanently replaced by AI-driven robotics, like fast food workers, retail shelf stockers, drivers, warehouse work, etc. Those are workers that can’t be easily trained UP, and many will likely become permanently unemployed.
That has been happening for decades. It hasn’t actually made retail that much more automated, just massively reduced quality of service and quality of work for those remaining. Every store that has followed these methods still gets customers due to increased isolation and lack of choice, but no one likes going there.
Yeah, they’ve been sneaking in industry killing technology for years. I had a nice career in the record business as a sales manager to retailers, until they shifted all music to easily pirated digital files on the Internet, closing 99% of the record stores in the country, and 1000s of people like me lost their jobs nearly overnight, without the media noticing it at all.
The tech to make any fast food outlet almost fully robotic is available right now, and every fast food corporation has a plan to implement it some point, and fire all those pesky humans. The only reason they haven’t done it, is because they know there will be a huge outcry, and almost certainly a crippling boycott of whichever company dives in first.
But make no mistake, as soon as one does it, they’ll ALL do it, and MILLIONS of fast food workers are going to lose their jobs. Teens, retirees, working moms, second incomes, etc., are all going to be in trouble.
Oh yeah. Very correct. They’re actively trying. I’m aware of some taco bells that have implemented AI ordering, but, as you said, people fucking hate it, and AI struggles with orders like “I’ll have 14,000 free waters” and then the system crashes for several minutes. People I know have consistently gotten meals comped because it’s failed in one way or another, so they’re abandoning it, for now
I don’t buy that. There’s little reason to automate those jobs because the labor is so cheap. And as someone who has worked most of those jobs in the past, most of those workers could be easily trained for different jobs; most are actively taking it upon themselves to train to get out of them.
Labor is cheap? Most cities are approaching $15 an hour, and even those immoral states that keep it at the Federal minimum of $7.75, a robot is still going to be cheaper in the long run. Then there are benefits, payroll taxes, personal issues, schedules, etc. People are a pain in the ass, and expensive in a lot more ways than money.
Besides, it almost certainly won’t be up to the franchisee. When corporate decides that they can be more efficient and more PROFITABLE with automation, the stores will go along with it, whether they like it or not.
It’s not an if, it’s a when. It’s definitely going to happen.
I think you might be underestimating the costs of upkeep and repair of those robots. The McCorps will have to figure that piece out before they can go balls-deep on automation.
Automation is going to be much more efficient, and therefore much more profitable, than human employees. Repair and maintenance will be negligible.
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