You are viewing a single comment's thread from:
RE: I am concerned at to how this will affect the working class. I know that it will attempt to subvert the influence of the overall workforce.
I don't usually go to McDonald's, so it will be easy to avoid this. It will be interesting to see the overall reception if this change occurs.
Well, if McDonalds is doing it, the writing is on the wall that many other places will be as well. It is indeed cheaper to pay for these machines then it is to pay for people to do these sorts of jobs. However we have to ask ourselves as a society, is this what we want? Is maximizing profits at the expense of jobs always the best path? Many will argue yes. Time will tell, and it will indeed be interesting to see how these things unfold.
It was inevitable this will be the norm in the future. I even predicted it. Years ago.
I obtained a PhD in the sciences in part because I saw the potential for technology as a disruptor many years ago (and through the advice of friends and family). I thought it would help me stay employable for a bit longer as someone has to plan experiments for the inevitable automated science bots. Even then I am beginning to question how automation proof any profession is really.
No profession is safe; regardless of how secure people may feel. Even my local post office, that I have been to for MANY years, is closing down and replacing them with...you guessed it....automated machines. When you've been employed for so long and expect to retire into your golden years; only to get suckered punched by the arrival of automation; it's really demoralizing and dehumanizing. It's really sad.