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AI and robotics are both on exponential trajectories. Don't be surprised to see most call center and manufacturing jobs to disappear in the next decade. Then there's driving jobs, trucking and transportation.

 

Those three sectors alone count for millions of jobs for mostly unskilled workers. I'm not saying advancement is bad. I'm saying you'll have to do something for the people who lose out because of it or you'll have an insurrection.

 

I really don't know much about AI, so I'll let those more familiar address that. Some call center work will continue to automate, but a lot of companies have actually begun to scale back and bring more human beings back on board, mainly to solidify their customer point of contact. If trucking begins to go driverless, then there will be a need for more maintenance and programmers. Unskilled people will always have service work of one fashion or another at their disposal,

 

The problem isn't that we're automating our way into high unemployment, it's that too many people stubbornly fail to realize that they need to develop a marketable skill. It's one thing for an old fart like me to become professionally obsolete because the tech advanced beyond my capability and training, and it's another for people to bemoan the fact that unskilled labor is going away while doing nothing to stay ahead of the curve.

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I really don't know much about AI, so I'll let those more familiar address that. Some call center work will continue to automate, but a lot of companies have actually begun to scale back and bring more human beings back on board, mainly to solidify their customer point of contact. If trucking begins to go driverless, then there will be a need for more maintenance and programmers. Unskilled people will always have service work of one fashion or another at their disposal,

 

The problem isn't that we're automating our way into high unemployment, it's that too many people stubbornly fail to realize that they need to develop a marketable skill. It's one thing for an old fart like me to become professionally obsolete because the tech advanced beyond my capability and training, and it's another for people to bemoan the fact that unskilled labor is going away while doing nothing to stay ahead of the curve.

I realize my position is a cynical one but there's probably a reason they were unskilled labor in the first place ya know...

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A little light reading for you Az:

 

Those few manufacturing jobs that weren't already automated:

 

http://www.npr.org/sections/alltechconsidered/2015/05/18/407648886/attention-white-collar-workers-the-robots-are-coming-for-your-jobs

 

Accountants, beware:

 

https://www.wired.com/2017/02/robots-will-soon-taxes-bye-bye-accounting-jobs/

 

You too, journalists:

 

https://www.wired.com/2017/02/robots-wrote-this-story/

 

Hell, how about ALL YOU MIDDLE CLASS !@#$ERS:

 

https://www.wired.com/2017/02/ai-threat-isnt-skynet-end-middle-class/

 

Is nothing sacred? Poker players?!?!?

 

https://www.wired.com/2017/02/libratus/

Edited by joesixpack
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A little light reading for you Az:

 

Those few manufacturing jobs that weren't already automated:

 

http://www.npr.org/sections/alltechconsidered/2015/05/18/407648886/attention-white-collar-workers-the-robots-are-coming-for-your-jobs

 

Accountants, beware:

 

https://www.wired.com/2017/02/robots-will-soon-taxes-bye-bye-accounting-jobs/

 

You too, journalists:

 

https://www.wired.com/2017/02/robots-wrote-this-story/

 

Hell, how about ALL YOU MIDDLE CLASS !@#$ERS:

 

https://www.wired.com/2017/02/ai-threat-isnt-skynet-end-middle-class/

 

Is nothing sacred? Poker players?!?!?

 

https://www.wired.com/2017/02/libratus/

 

What little I was able to see around all the pop-ups is just more of the same. I get it - we're not going to agree on this. I continue to believe that the new jobs created by automation will be at least comparable in number to those lost, but they will likely be higher paying, specialized jobs.

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This will go a long way in resolving my number one complaint about fast food restaurants: screwing up my order. Honestly, no matter where I go, there's at least a 40% chance of my order being wrong. Make that 80% if I order something as radical as "no cheese".

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This will go a long way in resolving my number one complaint about fast food restaurants: screwing up my order. Honestly, no matter where I go, there's at least a 40% chance of my order being wrong. Make that 80% if I order something as radical as "no cheese".

 

NSFW...but you already know that.

 

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This will go a long way in resolving my number one complaint about fast food restaurants: screwing up my order. Honestly, no matter where I go, there's at least a 40% chance of my order being wrong. Make that 80% if I order something as radical as "no cheese".

 

I have no doubt, though, that even a self-service kiosk will !@#$ up "no tomatoes" at least half the time.

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I have no doubt, though, that even a self-service kiosk will !@#$ up "no tomatoes" at least half the time.

 

I doubt it because I'm told the kiosks are so advanced, you don't even press buttons. You just tell the machine what you want, and it processes your order using the very latest voicemail-to-text translators.

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I have no doubt, though, that even a self-service kiosk will !@#$ up "no tomatoes" at least half the time.

 

Having had a moment to think about it, I suspect that instead of offering options to leave off items/ingredients, they'll probably offer the "classic" version, and an alternative "build-your-own". That way it only shows up in your food if you specifically ask for it that way.

 

Still, that's by no means an infallible system either.

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I doubt it because I'm told the kiosks are so advanced, you don't even press buttons. You just tell the machine what you want, and it processes your order using the very latest voicemail-to-text translators.

 

Conversely, ignoring a "no tomatoes" request happens with such consistency that it can't just be a mistake, but must be a feature of the food services industry. Therefore, I have no doubt "there is a 50/50 chance a request for no tomatoes will be ignored" will be programmed in to the damn kiosks.

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Conversely, ignoring a "no tomatoes" request happens with such consistency that it can't just be a mistake, but must be a feature of the food services industry. Therefore, I have no doubt "there is a 50/50 chance a request for no tomatoes will be ignored" will be programmed in to the damn kiosks.

The tomato lobby is strong.

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Conversely, ignoring a "no tomatoes" request happens with such consistency that it can't just be a mistake, but must be a feature of the food services industry. Therefore, I have no doubt "there is a 50/50 chance a request for no tomatoes will be ignored" will be programmed in to the damn kiosks.

 

I don't know what it's like where you live, but in my neck of the woods we have a bit of a language issue in most kitchens & food assembly-areas. More often than not "no tomatoes" will net you extra tomatoes, and occasionally you'll get no lettuce, extra mayo, and two kids-meal sized french fries. I eagerly await the kiosks.

The tomato lobby is strong.

 

:lol:

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