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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: 4, Informative) by BananaPhone on Thursday August 17 2017, @03:16PM (3 children)
Then when you go home, the RFID tags still work.
They could use them to track people VERY easily.
If you pay with plastic, they know everything about you and link it to the tag.
Even when you donate the stuff to goodwill, they could tell that John Smith bought the item.
You'll see some people just trashing stuff just to keep their privacy instead of donating them to goodwill.
You'll see a new start up called 1-800-GOT-RFID to come to your house to remove RFID tags from your clothes/shoes to prevent Minority Report style ad tracking or to just destroy the item on site.
This will go on until laws are enacted to stop this.
(Score: 4, Touché) by DannyB on Thursday August 17 2017, @03:21PM (1 child)
Rent-A-Cop: Hey Thief! You're under arrest for shoplifting!
Shopper: I didn't steal anything.
Rent-A-Cop: The scanner reported that you stole the jacket you're wearing. The RFID tag didn't go through the check out scanner.
Shopper: I bought this jacket last year.
Rent-A-Cop: A likely story.
Shopper: Yeah, about as likely as management finding a way to screw up IT operations.
Young people won't believe you if you say you used to get Netflix by US Postal Mail.
(Score: 2) by ledow on Thursday August 17 2017, @08:14PM
Exactly the same burden of proof as is they say the same to you in a normal store now.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday August 17 2017, @04:20PM
You're adorable :)