robot « Limits to Growth

Ford Automotive Assembly Robots Get an Upgrade

Once upon a time, there was an implied contract between business and labor: employees supplied their energy and knowledge to build things for which companies paid them. The workers then used their wages to buy products made by business. It was a virtuous circle that made capitalism work for all concerned.

But now, the new […]

Pandemic Speeds Adoption of Robots by Business

The year-long Wuhan virus outbreak has been devastating for many economic sectors, but automation has come out a winner because when workers are forced by government into home imprisonment, smart machines can step in to replace the humans. Plus, business owners have developed a larger appreciation of the convenience and dependability of modern robot substitutes.

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Robots Continue to Encroach on Human Employment

America’s newspaper of record had an interesting item earlier this month titled “The Robots Are Coming for Phil in Accounting.” The New York Times apparently meant to remind readers that smart machines aren’t just coming for simple manufacturing jobs, but also for the office gigs that require education.

True, it’s easier to imagine physical robots […]

New Robots Are Coming to Restaurant Kitchens

Reuters reported on March 5 that “U.S. border agents detained nearly 100,000 migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border in February” which means they will soon be released into the United States if they haven’t already.

Many plan on grabbing a job that should go to a US citizen, more the 10 million of whom remain unemployed […]

Coronavirus Provides Impetus for Increased Automation Now

The government’s reaction to the coronavirus of shutting down the normal economy has unsurprisingly inspired some business owners to contemplate shifting to non-human means of production by using machines that don’t get sick.

One blog stated the objective clearly in a recent headline: Coronavirus May Mean Automation Is Coming Sooner Than We Thought, SingularityHub.com, March […]

Restaurant Robot Works for Only $3 per Hour and Doesn’t Take Breaks

Tech and business publications routinely chat up the advantages of transitioning away from human workers and into smart machines, but it’s less often that the mainstream press emphasizes the cost saving of companies switching to robots.

It’s interesting then to see a recent edition of the Los Angeles Times cite the savings to be had […]

Diverse Newcomers Learn Basics of Life in Minnesota from Expanding Nonprofit

Sunday’s front page of the StarTribune newspaper published from Minneapolis/St. Paul included a story about “new Americans” being taught how to navigate Minnesota’s culture as well as the cold and snow — so different from Rwanda and Burundi!

The accompanying photo showed newcomers learning the fine points of shoveling snow at an eight-week class presented […]

Andrew Yang Ends His Presidential Campaign

As the media and other candidates awaited the results of the New Hampshire primary, candidate Andrew Yang announced he was calling it quits.

Tucker Carlson interviewed Yang last March about automation, and remarked on Tuesday that he was a “good guy personally and a serious person talking about things that actually matter and will […]

AI-enhanced Smart Machines and Software Will Endanger Some White-Collar Jobs

It’s certainly the case that low-skilled immigrants will not be employable in the coming automated economy when robots can perform simple tasks cheaply 24/7 with no coffee breaks.

But it’s also true that higher skilled persons won’t be needed in many fields as artificial intelligence (AI) develops more capability. Immigration in general should be dialed […]

Smart Warehouse Robots Will Eventually Replace Most Human Workers

Robot arms are getting smart, and that’s bad news for human employees who work in warehouses. The New York Times reports that a new component-sorting machine is capable of performing tasks that formerly required a human’s intelligence and dexterity, which “raises new concerns about warehouse workers losing their jobs to automation” according to the paper.

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Robot Taxation Idea Is Gaining Interest

It’s always nice to see serious thought given to dealing with the automated future, when millions of jobs are forecast to be lost. The employment economy is outstanding today, but robots will be chipping away at the number of workers as the cost of smart machines decreases in coming years.

A fundamental problem with the […]

Retail Robots Are Coming at Every Level

To a large degree, automation’s job replacement has occurred out of the public eye, such as in factories, but we could soon find the appearance of smart machines in retail outlets — see Business Develops More Cashierless Stores.

Doubtless the number of human workers may seem excessive to business owners looking to save money by […]

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Limits to Growth