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from the who-is-going-to-ask-if-I-want-fries? dept.
72 years after [Clarence Saunders] attempted to patent his idea, advances in robotics, artificial intelligence, and other technologies are making the dream of a worker-free store a reality. And American cashiers may soon be checking out.
A recent analysis by Cornerstone Capital Group suggests that 7.5m retail jobs – the most common type of job in the country – are at "high risk of computerization", with the 3.5m cashiers likely to be particularly hard hit.
Another report, by McKinsey, suggests that a new generation of high-tech grocery stores that automatically charge customers for the goods they take – no check-out required – and use robots for inventory and stocking could reduce the number of labor hours needed by nearly two-thirds. It all translates into millions of Americans' jobs under threat.
(Score: 1) by khallow on Thursday August 17 2017, @09:38PM (3 children)
Don't be crazy. I'm not going to work 20 hour weeks just because society has fucked itself up. At the very least, I can get two or three 20 hour per week jobs (though obviously, I'd rather just have one). The problem here is that society needs to get out of the way of employing people rather than taxing robots or mandating 20 hour work weeks that no one will obey in order to make a decent living.
In my view, taxes on robots is already a second order failure mode to a first order failure mode of interfering enough with employment that there's a huge incentive for most employers to automate or export jobs as much as possible.
I think first, we should try not to make the problem worse with terrible labor regulation. Then past that, realize that a bunch of unemployed workers is useless while more employers is extremely valuable and figure out how to get more of the latter.
(Score: 2) by Azuma Hazuki on Thursday August 17 2017, @10:02PM (2 children)
Sure, Hallow, the problem with the economy is *too much regulation protecting workers.* Not fractional-reserve banking or shady loans programs or skeezy multinational corporate contracts or money laundering. Nope, it's those fucking OSHA laws that are causing problems.
Ye gods. Do you even HAVE a job?
I am "that girl" your mother warned you about...
(Score: 1) by khallow on Friday August 18 2017, @05:12AM (1 child)
Economies can have more than one problem. None of the items you listed can explain, for example, the slowness of job growth in the aftermath of the 2008 recession as compared to past recessions. Excessive burdens on job creators can explain that tardiness.
(Score: 2) by Azuma Hazuki on Friday August 18 2017, @04:23PM
"Job creators," wow. You parrot the Narrative like you wrote it. Creating jobs? Where, China? Viet Nam? The Philippines? Robot factories? Ye gods.
I am "that girl" your mother warned you about...