No benefits packages...no time off, ever...no maternity leave...not even a paycheck

[PaceAdvantage]

And they can work 24/7/365

YouTube

[Dave Schwartz]

Yup.

And the first thing to go is fast food workers.

Recently I read an article that said by 2030 40% of American jobs would be replaced by AI and/or robots (using AI).

Part 1: Think of it this way...

• If the job uses a keyboard...
• If the job uses a computer...
• If the job answers questions...
• If the job takes orders...
• If the job does physical labor...
• If the job looks things up...
• If the job makes rule-based decisions...

... it can be EASILY replaced.


THIS is why socialism is coming: there will simply be far less jobs.

It isn't going to be pretty.

Part 2: Lennon's Imagine is NOT Utopia.
The end.



.

[Inner Dirt]

I thought it was going to be fake, like the robot soldier video, but it appears to be real. I wonder how much those things cost? A programmable robotic arm is $25k and up that would be good enough to flip hamburgers. Those things are dreadfully slow as they are, last I checked they still can't think for themselves, all motion must be programmed. I wonder how long it will take to get one that can pick orders at human speed and accuracy? 5 years, 10,20?
A lot of people think robots are much further advanced than they are.

[Dave Schwartz]

Originally Posted by Inner Dirt

I thought it was going to be fake, like the robot soldier video, but it appears to be real. I wonder how much those things cost? A programmable robotic arm is $25k and up that would be good enough to flip hamburgers. Those things are dreadfully slow as they are, last I checked they still can't think for themselves, all motion must be programmed. I wonder how long it will take to get one that can pick orders at human speed and accuracy? 5 years, 10,20?
A lot of people think robots are much further advanced than they are.

The costs are about to drop substantially.

Know how that will happen?

Robots producing parts for robots!

(Don't think for a minute this is the I, Robot story. That comes much later.)

All it takes is (basically) an advanced CAD/CAM system where the human engineer/technician is replaced by a computer.

The human engineer becomes a supervisor, watching for things to go wrong and correcting the problem(s).

Over time the robotic system makes fewer and fewer mistakes.

Eventually, the human is completely replaced by a computer that monitors production for errors.

[Dave Schwartz]

Originally Posted by Inner Dirt

I thought it was going to be fake, like the robot soldier video, but it appears to be real. I wonder how much those things cost? A programmable robotic arm is $25k and up that would be good enough to flip hamburgers. Those things are dreadfully slow as they are, last I checked they still can't think for themselves, all motion must be programmed. I wonder how long it will take to get one that can pick orders at human speed and accuracy? 5 years, 10,20?
A lot of people think robots are much further advanced than they are.

PS: $25k is NOTHING compared to a human employee.

Even at "only" $15 per hour (what it costs to hire a fast food employee in Reno) working a 40 hour week is $36,000, not counting FICA, taxes, insurance, workers' comp, etc.

According to ChatGPT, the above employee would cost the biz $48,000 per year.

At $25k the biz is well ahead in year one. The question will be, "How much is the maintenance?" The depth of robot physicality needed will determine that because movement is what breaks machinery.

But I cannot imagine that it would be anywhere near paying that $48k per employee.

[Inner Dirt]

Originally Posted by Dave Schwartz

PS: $25k is NOTHING compared to a human employee.

Even at "only" $15 per hour (what it costs to hire a fast food employee in Reno) working a 40 hour week is $36,000, not counting FICA, taxes, insurance, workers' comp, etc.

According to ChatGPT, the above employee would cost the biz $48,000 per year.

At $25k the biz is well ahead in year one. The question will be, "How much is the maintenance?" The depth of robot physicality needed will determine that because movement is what breaks machinery.

But I cannot imagine that it would be anywhere near paying that $48k per employee.

The robotic arm I speak of at that price is rigidly mounted and much slower than a human, for the tasks I am thinking of. Of course there are tasks where mounted robotic arms or the like would match or better a human's speed. A good example of that is mass production of vehicles. You can't beat those robotic spot welders or painters.


I have a recurring job I could replace myself with a robotic arm, it would also need a feed system that would probably double that $25k. It would also take 30-40 secs a part compared to my 12 secs. Whether a robot is a feasible replacement for a human depends on the task. Of course with this $20 an hour for fast food workers there is going to be all kinds of R & D money thrown at automation. I always wonder if you could get a robot to assemble a Big Mac? I think the only issue would be getting the slice of cheese off the 5lb rectangle of American Cheese slices.

[Inner Dirt]

Originally Posted by Dave Schwartz

PS: $25k is NOTHING compared to a human employee.

Even at "only" $15 per hour (what it costs to hire a fast food employee in Reno) working a 40 hour week is $36,000, not counting FICA, taxes, insurance, workers' comp, etc.

According to ChatGPT, the above employee would cost the biz $48,000 per year.

At $25k the biz is well ahead in year one. The question will be, "How much is the maintenance?" The depth of robot physicality needed will determine that because movement is what breaks machinery.

But I cannot imagine that it would be anywhere near paying that $48k per employee.

If made of decent grade components and properly assembled, adjusted and not run at break neck speed, I do not think durability will be an issue. The robots are made of the same or similar components that reside in the machinery I use in my machine shop. I will not dare say "the last time I replaced a solenoid or actuator was ___________. If I were to do that I would curse myself. I think maintenance cost and down time will be minimal as
long as the person programming and setting up the robots is skilled and careful.

[Marshall Bennett]

Machines break down. They're programmed, but must work off of a system to function. Vulnerable to hackers?
If anything can go wrong it usually will.

[Mr_Ed]

It's very much expected, and welcomed.

New day. Mew chapter.

March on!!

[Bustin Stones]

From the title, I thought we were going to discuss pre Civil War slavery.

[Dave Schwartz]

Originally Posted by Mr_Ed

It's very much expected, and welcomed.

New day. Mew chapter.

March on!!

Indeed.
______
Matt Dillon was trying to bring in a fugitive.

The bad guy hollers from behind a tree about 20 yards away, "Marshall, you'll never take me alive."

To which Dillon replied, "You can go as pig or pork, but one way or another, you're going."

Such is the state of our future.
We can go as pig or pork.



.

[Inner Dirt]

Originally Posted by Marshall Bennett

Machines break down. They're programmed, but must work off of a system to function. Vulnerable to hackers?
If anything can go wrong it usually will.

How and why would anyone hack a work place robot? I doubt they would be connected to any wireless network. I am sure they will receive their programming through a computer port, and will be delivered to the customer with just basic parameter settings.

[Bustin Stones]

Eliminating the layers of distribution is progress. If Apple can sell you a laptop without involving the markups taken by the distribution network, the public can afford more laptops. Subtracting work from middlemen doesn't eliminate manufacturing work. It doesn't eliminate personal services. The ultimate would be to beam merchandise to you, like on Star Trek. What we have today are oceans of UPS and Amazon trucks clogging the roads. It's a nuisance.

[Dave Schwartz]

Originally Posted by Inner Dirt

How and why would anyone hack a work place robot? I doubt they would be connected to any wireless network. I am sure they will receive their programming through a computer port, and will be delivered to the customer with just basic parameter settings.

It sounds like you're thinking of these robots like the "robot arm" you mentioned.

They are much more.

Just consider those Boston Dynamics pack animals built for use by the military. They must be available to follow instructions given by an untrained soldier, not a programmer.


Go back and look at the original Amazon video.

It is very likely that they are not PROGRAMMING the robots, but rather TEACHING them.

That results in a massive difference in the necessary skill and education level of the trainer.

[garyscpa]

Why no maternity leave? Who are they to say a machine can't get pregnant?