Hidden One
Member
RIP to more jobs.
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Introducing Amazon Go and the worlds most advanced shopping technology
- Thread starter Exile20
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demosthenes
Member
Star Trek requires fusion energy and replicators. Star Trek is only possible in a post scarcity society and we're not close to that yet.
What's your vision for people? What are your thoughts on a timeline of events from here to there?
I don't think society was really relying on your average retail cashier for any of that. Besides, the app for this would likely be keeping a running tally of exactly what you bought and what the total cost is so far. If anything it makes it easier to consciously track cost because you don't have to keep a running tally in your head.
Graphics Horse
Member
Dr. Black Jack
Member
Yes, because I'm sure you've never knocked something over at a grocery store. Jesus Christ people are assholes about retail.
A better thing for Amazon to do would be to implement B&M stores that use the website's pricing and require a Prime membership to shop at. The savings/customer service of a warehouse store with the selection of Amazon.
Reading this post makes me physically shake with rage.
So if basic income doesn't come soonish, is the new mass job market going to be extremely overstaffed decadently lavish service jobs for the rich?
The few middle class work white collar to be served by robots and the rich have armies of human servers that are the poor?
Sounds familiar... Sounds sustainable...
The few middle class work white collar to be served by robots and the rich have armies of human servers that are the poor?
Sounds familiar... Sounds sustainable...
Amazon has tons of work for programmers and engineers, if they weren't working on this they would have been working on something else in the company. Programmers are in high demand. People who work the cash register aren't. And sure there is a reason for that but I don't think we should just toss those people aside anyways. Especially when programs to help those people get into new fields aren't terribly likely to expand in the next couple years.
It's also incredibly reductive to suggest that not wanting automation to completely take over means no innovation in technology.
What do you think programmers do everyday? To automate tasks in one way or another.
I responded to a ridiculous post with one of my own.
I already turned.
Between them not paying tax in the UK and reported poor work conditions, plus my own preference for supporting small businesses, I'm not prepared any longer to give Amazon my money except in very rare circumstances.
Storm Chamber
Banned
Tom Nook
Member
ED209: Halt!!! You have failed to sign in when walking in the store. You have 20 seconds to comply. 20, 19, ......
Customer: OK! *signs in* There!
ED209: 18, 17, 16.....
Customer: I signed in!!!!!
RumblingRosco
Member
This is why the term Luddite gets thrown around so often.
perfectchaos007
Member
I can't wait to take a Driverless Uber to go shopping there.
Brawly Likes to Brawl
Member
Technology is not going to go on hiatus because governments are too scared to look into GBI.
Automation is not a train that is going to stop.
Well, seeing as I am a programmer, yeah I think I have some idea of what programmers do all day. And I would certainly argue that programming is a lot more than just automating tasks.
I'm not saying that technology isn't going to replace a lot of jobs but I feel that we need to slow down on implementing automation or else a lot of people are going to end up suffering because of it. Progress is important but if it's at the expense of lives I think we can afford to wait a little bit for our checkout-less stores. Humanity isn't suffering all that greatly by progress not eliminating cashiers immediately, so maybe we as a society should work on transitioning people first so they don't end up starving when automation hits.
RoninChaos
Member
People all hopeful for basic income... really?Republicans won't even budge on minimum wage. You think basic income will happen?! Cmon son.
Also, automation is good in a lot of ways but if the middle class keeps shrinking specifically due to automation that takes away jobs that the poor and middle class are currently filing, there will be blowback. Like these companies not having customers to buy their shit in their no-line-utopia. No one will be buying anything because they don't have jobs.
Also, automation is good in a lot of ways but if the middle class keeps shrinking specifically due to automation that takes away jobs that the poor and middle class are currently filing, there will be blowback. Like these companies not having customers to buy their shit in their no-line-utopia. No one will be buying anything because they don't have jobs.
Problem is that legislation wont be taken seriously until after people are already suffering. Preemptive legislation isn't very popular. I don't think people win elections by running on a preemptive legislation platform unless it's regressive and based on fear...
... maybe it will happen.
I have no idea what I'm talking about.
Rentahamster
Rodent Whores
That looks awesome. Seattle has cool shit. I should go back sometime.
If you're assigned to this Amazon project would you protest and/or quit your job?
Hidden One
Member
ED209: Halt!!! You have failed to sign in when walking in the store. You have 20 seconds to comply. 20, 19, ......
Customer: OK! *signs in* There!
ED209: 18, 17, 16.....
Customer: I signed in!!!!!
Ok this got me
RoninChaos
Member
"Meaningless". Do you know how the economy works at all? We are a consumer based economy. If people don't have money to buy things the economy damn near stops working. So even a "meaningless" job like a cashier or clerk has actual meaning. That person gets paid, pays bills, buys things and that supports other jobs downstream. You eliminate too many jobs then things dry up and there aren't people with money to buy things from these stores. So then these stores close because they have no customers. Etc.
Btw the US government, now and more than ever in the future, is going to be runny rich assholes who don't care about the poor or the middle class. They're enriching themselves and it's going to cause the country to collapse eventually. There will be no legislation to help people out because if you're poor in America people assume it's because you're lazy, not because the deck is stacked against you.
John Kowalski
Banned
Meh, no thanks.
CrunchyFrog
Member
Pretty much. We need to get over our societal stigma of trades because those are going to be the only working class jobs left when all is said and done.
At least this way, instead of getting a shoplifting charge, you'll be charged for the item.
Ether_Snake
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A grocery store would save money and use it in another way. It could be more of those old ladies inviting you to try free samples or whatever. Point is, anyone doing the clerk jobs is wasting their time. They are better off doing another job or learning something useful. The government should see the net benefit in people learning new skills or acquiring knowledge and make rapid education cheap and easy to access.
Also overpopulation is an issue that needs to be addressed. The future is one of scientific projects, not lass consumption, so you need a balanced population count, not an excess.
Also overpopulation is an issue that needs to be addressed. The future is one of scientific projects, not lass consumption, so you need a balanced population count, not an excess.
outunderthestars
Banned
Respect.
We might not be able to stop it, but we can certainly regulate it. Rolling over and giving up is what the people who stand to profit from it want us to do.
We lose manufacturing jobs, people tell us that nothing can be done. Now we begin to lose service sector jobs, and people tell us nothing can be done. At some point we need to push back against corporate greed and the consolidation of wealth/power.
Doominated
Member
I don't get why people keep bringing up "middle class jobs" when referring to jobs like cashiers/stockers.
If you've ever worked retail, you know that these are purely poor/high school student type jobs. Unless you think 10$ an hour makes somebody "middle class", it doesn't actually affect the "middle class" whatsoever. Outside of making their shopping easier of course.
Yes, jobs will be lost and that's tragic, but if you think it affects anybody beyond those who could have their wage loss supplemented by a halfway decent welfare system, or a system that rewards people for learning a skill/trade, you're deluding yourself.
If you've ever worked retail, you know that these are purely poor/high school student type jobs. Unless you think 10$ an hour makes somebody "middle class", it doesn't actually affect the "middle class" whatsoever. Outside of making their shopping easier of course.
Yes, jobs will be lost and that's tragic, but if you think it affects anybody beyond those who could have their wage loss supplemented by a halfway decent welfare system, or a system that rewards people for learning a skill/trade, you're deluding yourself.
RoninChaos
Member
Respect.
We might not be able to stop it, but we can certainly regulate it. Rolling over and giving up is what the people who stand to profit from it want us to do.
We lose manufacturing jobs, people tell us that nothing can be done. Now we begin to lose service sector jobs, and people tell us nothing can be done. At some point we need to push back against corporate greed and the consolidation of wealth/power.
Exactly. You get it. There has to be a fundamental change in our government but as long as the rich fucks who have nothing to lose are in charge then shit isn't going to change.
RoninChaos
Member
Not anymore they're not.
Well I'm web based so I wouldn't be assigned to a project like that anyways. I'm not suggesting that Amazon is some evil organization or anything, just that they aren't going to consider the impact this will have on people's lives. I think it's the place of the government to step in and regulate corporations, because you can't expect corporations to do what's in the best interest of people. I'm not saying shut down automation entirely, only that it needs to be slowed down a bit while we can get things worked out for the people who will need it.
I'm not sure I understand why you're in such a rush to take jobs away from these people.
At no point have I said that I'm against progress only that we need to consider the cost of that progress in human lives. And ultimately the progress of automation is a form of progress that mostly only benefits corporations not consumers so I don't think it's an absolute priority over everything else.
So basically,
Yes, because there will obviously be NO SECURITY WHATSOEVER in those stores.
SenjutsuSage
Banned
I don't see this as taking away jobs necessarily, because, unless I've been living under a rock, there were no physical Amazon store locations to begin with, so how can you take jobs away from a store that didn't exist in the first place? They're just creating a new kind of business, and obviously there will be staff on site to make sure people aren't just taking things they didn't pay for. So there will be real staff, just not nearly as much as what another business establishment might require.
WeAreStarStuff
Member
That's pretty amazing tech.
America has a really weird idea of what 'middle class' means. It's like no-one wants to admit that they're on the (almost) bottom rung.
You mean shoplifting?
I am sure Amazon can hire a guard here and there. Having guards in the promo vids wouldn't have been as snazzy.
In all honesty, trips to Target or the grocery store are pretty much devoid of interaction except for checkout. Which can be long and annoying anyway.
That is forced interaction. No one wakes up saying, I can't wait to have a conversation with the supermarket cashier.
You said we should slow down progress, so I was wondering who you were appealing to. The common individual? The employees? The executives of the company? The shareholders? The government?
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