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Portentous changes to the work economies of India and the USA due to job automation by machines and robots continue to make headlines. Varieties of hardware and software automation are seeing implementation burgeon in both countries, as companies seek efficiency by replacing humans with machines. Wage erosion in areas previously unaffected by automation - including varieties of programming - is getting commoner while new, albeit highly specialized, engineering jobs are created. Both articles encourage educational changes mindful of these realities, though how colleges either side of the world can adapt to the blistering pace of automation is unclear.
The latest tranche of job automation news comes hot on the heels of Davos' prediction that machine automation will result in a net loss globally of over 5 million jobs prior to 2020.
(Score: 2) by Murdoc on Wednesday February 10 2016, @09:38AM
I'm curious as to why you think that it is inevitable? I think that it is highly unlikely. Far preferable certainly, and we should all be doing all we can to make it happen (I am), but the odds do seem stacked against us.
(Score: 2) by Gravis on Wednesday February 10 2016, @09:45PM
I'm curious as to why you think that it is inevitable?
i dunno, are you? ;)
assuming you are, it's inevitable because machines don't have to be paid, only maintained. the more money you keep, the more profitable your business. the more profitable your business, the lower the prices you can afford to sell your product. the lower the prices, the more people buy your product than the other guys. capitalism is a basic optimization problem.
(Score: 2) by Murdoc on Thursday February 11 2016, @07:35AM
Actually I am, although I can understand your scepticism. Many do say that who aren't.
Ah yes, the increasing use of machines to optimize profits for businesses, I fully agree that that is inevitable. It was the part about taking care of everyone that I don't see as inevitable (assuming that I interpreted what you said correctly). The more likely case I see is that those in power will fight that until things get so bad that it becomes a matter of attempted revolution, which won't necessarily help anything. That's why I think that we have to do everything we can to change things before we get to that point.
(Score: 2) by Gravis on Thursday February 11 2016, @08:17AM
It was the part about taking care of everyone that I don't see as inevitable ...
The more likely case I see is that those in power will fight that until things get so bad that it becomes a matter of attempted revolution
that's just it, if things get bad, a revolution will happen though it might not be violent or even political. society will evolve because the alternative is death. when shit hits the fan, humans find a way to survive.
(Score: 2) by Murdoc on Thursday February 11 2016, @08:33AM
Oh yes, I have no doubt that "humans" will survive. I am very concerned with the number of those that do, and the quality of their lives.
(Score: 2) by Gravis on Thursday February 11 2016, @08:57AM
i don't think many will die because automation is the solution to all those starving people. it's not like companies are the only ones that are allowed to own machines.