Automation

[britbox]

I took a couple of my kids to the pics tonight to watch Black Panther (Marvel movie)... arrived, and there wasn't a single person working the ticket booth. I had to buy the tickets online using my phone and then scan the barcode at a machine to print the tickets. This was one of those huge multiplex cinemas... and not one human working apart from some guy at the food counter - who was just taking money - all the popcorn, drinks etc was self service...

We discussed automation before on some thread... but I said to my kids... this is why your generation are going to struggle to get jobs... Where will the jobs be?

 

[Federberg]

Can't remember who said this, Peter Thiel or Stephen Hawking, but the biggest threat to humanity's well being will come from automation. Not enough political debate is happening around this issue. In theory the higher productivity of automation will create a net wealth gain for mankind, but that will be concentrated in the hands of the wealthy/owners of capital. If something is not done to mitigate the employment losses for the vast majority of the population we'll see a backlash that will make the Bolshevik revolution look like child's play. We've already seen the initial tremors of this. So far the wealthy, or at least the really farsighted few like the Koch's and Mercer's have figured out that diversion is the best strategy. They have pandered to the prejudices of the masses with a focus on immigration and racial division as an antidote to globalisation. But as I've said several times on this forum the root cause of the issues which brought Trump and other demagogues to the fore is the fact that corporations are being allowed to arbitrage their costs and taxes away across countries. Until some new global understanding is developed the situation will get worse

 

[Horsa]

I hope you enjoyed your film. The customer service you received was horrendous & disgusting. Self-service isn't bad but it's nice to get a friendly person to help you. (Saying that, the calibre of some people who've served me in the past has been disgraceful. I could have served myself quicker & more efficiently & machines don't have feelings or need refreshment, dinner & toilet breaks) People sense when there are problems & can deal with them. Machines don't & require mending every now & then. Technology is good to a certain extent but it's scary that machines are taking over.

 

[Horsa]

Can't remember who said this, Peter Thiel or Stephen Hawking, but the biggest threat to humanity's well being will come from automation. Not enough political debate is happening around this issue. In theory the higher productivity of automation will create a net wealth gain for mankind, but that will be concentrated in the hands of the wealthy/owners of capital. If something is not done to mitigate the employment losses for the vast majority of the population we'll see a backlash that will make the Bolshevik revolution look like child's play. We've already seen the initial tremors of this. So far the wealthy, or at least the really farsighted few like the Koch's and Mercer's have figured out that diversion is the best strategy. They have pandered to the prejudices of the masses with a focus on immigration and racial division as an antidote to globalisation. But as I've said several times on this forum the root cause of the issues which brought Trump and other demagogues to the fore is the fact that corporations are being allowed to arbitrage their costs and taxes away across countries. Until some new global understanding is developed the situation will get worse

I agree. Your view is correct, unfortunately.

 

[britbox]

I hope you enjoyed your film. The customer service you received was horrendous & disgusting. Self-service isn't bad but it's nice to get a friendly person to help you. (Saying that, the calibre of some people who've served me in the past has been disgraceful. I could have served myself quicker & more efficiently & machines don't have feelings or need refreshment, dinner & toilet breaks) People sense when there are problems & can deal with them. Machines don't & require mending every now & then. Technology is good to a certain extent but it's scary that machines are taking over.

Here is the thing... I wasn't shocked at the lack of customer service... I actually turned the ticket-buying around a lot quicker than if I'd waited in line - it was more efficient for me, and clearly more efficient for the cinema... but it was thought of an almost staff-less cinema that just reinforced the issue that generations to come are going to find life very difficult... when it comes to jobs.

 

[britbox]

Can't remember who said this, Peter Thiel or Stephen Hawking, but the biggest threat to humanity's well being will come from automation. Not enough political debate is happening around this issue. In theory the higher productivity of automation will create a net wealth gain for mankind, but that will be concentrated in the hands of the wealthy/owners of capital. If something is not done to mitigate the employment losses for the vast majority of the population we'll see a backlash that will make the Bolshevik revolution look like child's play. We've already seen the initial tremors of this. So far the wealthy, or at least the really farsighted few like the Koch's and Mercer's have figured out that diversion is the best strategy. They have pandered to the prejudices of the masses with a focus on immigration and racial division as an antidote to globalisation. But as I've said several times on this forum the root cause of the issues which brought Trump and other demagogues to the fore is the fact that corporations are being allowed to arbitrage their costs and taxes away across countries. Until some new global understanding is developed the situation will get worse

Spot on with concentrating the wealth in a small number at the top of the pyramid. I can't remember where I read it, but it was an article that alluded to the fact that this is probably the first era where technology is creating a huge net loss with regard to jobs... previously new technologies were creating new industries and jobs to go with them...

I was reading recently that some of the big Australian mining companies are replacing drivers with automated vehicles... not to mention Amazon using drones to deliver goods, all the self-service checkouts in retail.... Hell, I won't even get started on 3D Printing... we'll be printing devices and appliances at home in the not too distant future... even food substitutes maybe... frightening.

If the wealth is concentrated among such a small number then you have to have a social contract to go with it... otherwise you're staring at a revolution in the face.

 

[Federberg]

'exactly

 

[Horsa]

Here is the thing... I wasn't shocked at the lack of customer service... I actually turned the ticket-buying around a lot quicker than if I'd waited in line - it was more efficient for me, and clearly more efficient for the cinema... but it was thought of an almost staff-less cinema that just reinforced the issue that generations to come are going to find life very difficult... when it comes to jobs.

I agree. It would have been inconvenient if you'd have left your mobile at home though & sometimes machines are prone to break down. If there's no one to fix them there's a problem but as they weren't broken they didn't need fixing. I like good old-fashioned customer service though.

 

[Horsa]

Spot on with concentrating the wealth in a small number at the top of the pyramid. I can't remember where I read it, but it was an article that alluded to the fact that this is probably the first era where technology is creating a huge net loss with regard to jobs... previously new technologies were creating new industries and jobs to go with them...

I was reading recently that some of the big Australian mining companies are replacing drivers with automated vehicles... not to mention Amazon using drones to deliver goods, all the self-service checkouts in retail.... Hell, I won't even get started on 3D Printing... we'll be printing devices and appliances at home in the not too distant future... even food substitutes maybe... frightening.

If the wealth is concentrated among such a small number then you have to have a social contract to go with it... otherwise you're staring at a revolution in the face.

Self-service tills often break down on me as I've nowhere to put my handbag & other heavy shopping I got from other shops before getting something from the supermarket I use self-service tills for & I end up messing the weighing scales up or accidentally knocking the machine with my handbag unless I'm with someone else who holds my shopping while I serve myself & the self-service tills don't like my top-up cards so I end up having to go to a person anyway. In a way self-service tills are good for staff as they allow them to do other important jobs like price checks, availability checks, date checks, stock rotation & replenishment & cleaning & like normal tills they still need a float & their change replenishing as well as cashing up doing.

 

[britbox]

Interesting article:

https://www.theguardian.com/comment...y-millions-jobs-change?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

 

[Horsa]

Our local newspaper only mentioned that last week. It's scary to think about the fact that a lot of our job roles may become obsolete because machines can & have been made to do the jobs. Machines don't need food & drink. They just need to be operated & maintained. Some don't even have to be operated. Getting people to do jobs costs more as people need food, drink, clothing & shelter as well as other things.

Edit. This is very similar to the article I read in our local newspaper last week as Yvette Cooper is my M.P.