Why is no one concerned with Automation? (unemployment, Congress, wages)
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Over the past several weeks, there have been multiple threads about illegal immigrants taking jobs from Americans. But I find it odd how no one is talking about the increasing trend of automation and the increasing online marketplace is affecting the labor market.
There hasn't been much discussion of brick and mortar retail chains closing up shop, undergoing massive layoffs and bankruptcy.
We are talking about thousands of stores closing and thousands of people now out of work.
Currently congress is debating how to handle the deployment of autonomous vehicles. This could be a threat to thousands of delivery drivers. Certainly in the next decade they may be put out of work as well.
But I ask again why aren't people concerned about this?
Anybody can make a robot do anything, it’s the responsibility you’re usually paying for.
Automated delivery trucks will need to answer to somebody other than Skynet when the have a blown tire on the free way or realize they’re stuck down a one way street with a moving van parked in the middle of it. Automation will be able to drive the truck while the driver concentrated on the packages.
Automation will replace some jobs much like industrialization replaced jobs before them. People adapt otherwise given the population increases in the country as well as industrialization and automation, unemployment would have theoretically been over 50% by now.
I find it odd how no one is talking about the increasing trend of automation ...affecting the labor market.
...why aren't people concerned about this?
People are talking about it all the time.
They tend to fall into one of two groups:
1) those who think we have too many people already and 2) those who think we can never have too many.
Which are you?
Quote:
There hasn't been much discussion of brick and mortar retail chains closing up shop, undergoing massive layoffs and bankruptcy.
We are talking about thousands of stores closing and thousands of people now out of work.
No? Maybe you need to find some new sources of news and information.
It's been discussed to death.
Automation is taking over because it is cheaper and more reliable than the average worker.
Automation is the future and conventional retail is withering away. Amazon is crushing retail.
People are concerned but no one wants to talk about it.
If I was a young guy I would be learning the trade of how to repair robots.
People are talking about it all the time. They tend to fall into one of two groups:
1) those who think we have too many people already and
2) those who think we can never have too many.
Either that or...
1. The modern ways of science and technological progress are good, or
2. The traditional ways of outmoded myth and superstition are good.
So much these days is defined in people's simple reluctance to deal with modernity.
because we always need a scape goat to blame all our problems on.
Coal will rebound if we get rid of pesky Mexicans
low wages will go bye bye if we build a wall and get rid of certain people.
All companies that moved overseas will come running back.
Well, no, automation is great.
Capitalism is a huge problem.
Technology exists to make our lives easier. Robots should be taking our jobs and doing the work. The problem is when robots do one person's work and rewards another.
Its not a popular topic right now mainly because AI, and robotic technology are not quite at the level to start replacing humans in the workplace, however I do believe this issue will probably be one of the most important in years to come.
We are still a a few years away from a bipedal humanoid type robot that has some form of AI, in that it can do any job a human can do, digging ditches, flipping burgers, taking orders, stocking shelves, etc.
Its also not a big concern because it will only be harmful for the little guy, this will be a great thing for big industry, so of course its going to have a lot of support from them, if the tables were turned though, and it was going to be destructive for large industry, I dont think we would see much support for the technology, its really about who its going to benefit in the long run.
I really think automation is going to stop at self-driving vehicles. There is no way people will give up driving, or think an autonomous car will work properly. Some of this is to freak people out. Ain't gonna happen.
Automation is part of the advancement of time, technology, etc. It's not going to be stopped or slowed, any less than medical research will stop.
Businesses and society will continue to use and develop automation. Even if certain persons do not like that, and are affected, that won't stop the larger movement.
As for "smarts" in the usage of automation, there's no way to put control over that. It's as out of our hands as political systems are. Better to adapt and prepare, than to try to stop or control the wave.
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