Robots will replace fast-food workers

[Number1]

More automation is coming as it becomes more affordable.


I can't wait to be able to send my car to get my groceries or pick up a pizza.


It would be nice to sleep an extra half hour while my car drives me to work.

It's coming.

 

[Ruptga]

I'm pretty sure we already had this retarded thread a few months back, though I can't find it right now.

In any case, this is a good thing. Jobs like this should be automated so people can be free to do other jobs that actually matter and contribute to lives that are worth living. Not that any of that matters for the purposes of this thread. We'll have a full on socio-political circlejerk by the time this hits 100 posts.

 

[Markbnj]

No. The robots will have lasers on their heads.

More likely they will allow you to leave peacefully, but will have scanned you in three dimensions and uploaded your profile to the police, who will be waiting at the park bench where you usually eat your lunch when you arrive with the stolen burgers.

 

[dave_the_nerd]

I'm pretty sure we already had this retarded thread a few months back, though I can't find it right now.

In any case, this is a good thing. Jobs like this should be automated so people can be free to do other jobs that actually matter and contribute to lives that are worth living. Not that any of that matters for the purposes of this thread. We'll have a full on socio-political circlejerk by the time this hits 100 posts.

That's fine as long as I don't have to stand in the circle next to Mayne or Olds.

 

[Mxylplyx]

Good? Maybe then all those who would have gone into fast food will do something worthwhile instead.

I'm sure they'll all become engineers and surgeons now that their fast food avenue is cut off.

 

[Insomniator]

I'm pretty sure we already had this retarded thread a few months back, though I can't find it right now.

In any case, this is a good thing. Jobs like this should be automated so people can be free to do other jobs that actually matter and contribute to lives that are worth living. Not that any of that matters for the purposes of this thread. We'll have a full on socio-political circlejerk by the time this hits 100 posts.

Thats an extremely optimistic outlook on people. These jobs aren't holding them back from anything. They are either young kids (which is fine) or just on the lower end of the intelligence/class/ambition scale. The latter won't magically turn into contributing members of society.

 

[hanoverphist]

i hear they will make a good sweet potato pie too

 

[Ruptga]

Thats an extremely optimistic outlook on people. These jobs aren't holding them back from anything. They are either young kids (which is fine) or just on the lower end of the intelligence/class/ambition scale. The latter won't magically turn into contributing members of society.

You're making assumptions about my assumptions. I've worked in fast food, I did it because I had no other options at the time, and I got the fuck out as soon as I could (after six months). Working jobs like that, where you're paid as little as possible and they barely bother to pretend otherwise, where you're constantly under stress from the working conditions and the taskmasters above you, it wears a person down. Work there long enough and you become unsuited to work elsewhere. That entire industry is a parasite on our economy, it will take time for its workers and our economy/society as a whole to adapt, but we will be better off without it.

Bottom line: to at least some extent, people will live up or live down to the expectations placed on them. Long term shit-tier work makes people think and act like shit when otherwise they might be rate anywhere from acceptable to mediocre to high quality.

 

[blurredvision]

I'm just imagining that some (not all) fast-food drive-thrus will have no local employees. The attendant taking your order will be at a call center in India. Then you drive around, pay a machine, and food slides out next to your car window.

The Wendy's in my area outsourced their drive-thru voices a few years ago. When you talked to a person through the speaker, that person was located in a call center in a nearby town. It lasted for maybe a year or so before they went back to the "old fashioned" way because customers didn't care for it (source: a family member worked there).

Had it stuck, I can easily see those jobs being moved overseas after they got customers used to it.

 

[fjmeat]

I went to Chili's the other day and noticed it. It's a Kindle Fire in landscape mode on a swivel mount on the edge of the table. I looked at my paper menu, and entered my order using the touch screen device. A waiter still came by to take drink orders. I never saw that waiter again. Someone else from the back brought our food just as we ordered it. When we were done, I swiped my card and used the "auto-tip 10%" feature, then a receipt instantly printed out.

I had a choice to tip None, 10%, 15% or 20%.

 

[fjmeat]

^

I liked it.

 

[Insomniator]

I went to Chili's the other day and noticed it. It's a Kindle Fire in landscape mode on a swivel mount on the edge of the table. I looked at my paper menu, and entered my order using the touch screen device. A waiter still came by to take drink orders. I never saw that waiter again. Someone else from the back brought our food just as we ordered it. When we were done, I swiped my card and used the "auto-tip 10%" feature, then a receipt instantly printed out.

I had a choice to tip None, 10%, 15% or 20%.

What if you wanted to pay with cash?

NYC taxi's are like that with cards as well -- pre set tip amounts with no options.

 

[blurredvision]

I went to Chili's the other day and noticed it. It's a Kindle Fire in landscape mode on a swivel mount on the edge of the table. I looked at my paper menu, and entered my order using the touch screen device. A waiter still came by to take drink orders. I never saw that waiter again. Someone else from the back brought our food just as we ordered it. When we were done, I swiped my card and used the "auto-tip 10%" feature, then a receipt instantly printed out.

I had a choice to tip None, 10%, 15% or 20%.

That sounds awesome to me. One thing I absolutely loathe is waiting forever for the check. Also, when the waitress gives you 2 minutes to look at the menu and if you're aren't ready, she'll give you a "couple more minutes", but you won't see her for another 10.

 

[fjmeat]

That sounds awesome to me. One thing I absolutely loathe is waiting forever for the check. Also, when the waitress gives you 2 minutes to look at the menu and if you're aren't ready, she'll give you a "couple more minutes", but you won't see her for another 10.

exactly. the restaurant is on your time with that lil device.

 

[fjmeat]

What if you wanted to pay with cash?

NYC taxi's are like that with cards as well -- pre set tip amounts with no options.

Choose none, print receipt, and leave your cash on the table.

 

[Imp]

I actually wouldn't mind ordering fast food using a computer screen. Communication is way more than trouble than it should be at the ones I frequent. And in general, way too many workers who don't know their own menus...

 

[cyclohexane]

get ready for 50% unemployment, as all retail, sales, low skill service, truck-driving, etc jobs replaced by automation in the next 10 to 20 years.

 

[fjmeat]

get ready for 50% unemployment, as all retail, sales, low skill service, truck-driving, etc jobs replaced by automation in the next 10 to 20 years.

in the meantime - look for work in developing this kind of equipment.

 

[squarecut1]

How long before even "high skill" jobs are automated too? For those cheering automation, they or their descendants might not find it very pleasant after all.

Technology + Relentless pursuit of profits - social conscience = not good.

 

[cyclohexane]

How long before even "high skill" jobs are automated too? For those cheering automation, they or their descendants might not find it very pleasant after all.

Technology + Relentless pursuit of profits - social conscience = not good.

already started. Companies are pushing for "block-based" programming languages, so they can hire fewer skilled software developers.

In the pharmaceutical industry, large scale automation has resulted in the layoffs of thousands of lab technicians.

Likely in the near future, computer algorithms would be so good that on wall street - they will no longer need financial analysts. What are those "high-skilled" douchebags supposed to do then?

 

[BarkingGhostar]

Robots won't work out. This will come next:

At least they feed their own, their own.

 

[JTsyo]

I've seen ideas for medication dispensers to replace pharmacists. That's a pretty high qualification job. Guess you would still need them there in case there were questions but a busy pharmacy could reduce the staff to 1 pharmacist and 1 tech.

 

[Harabec]

So once everything is automated, what do you do with 7 billion unemployed people? You'll only need a tiny minority to develop ideas, after all.

 

[squarecut1]

And how will the tiny minority earn their money if the spending power of the rest is diminished to nothing?

 

[Wreckem]

http://money.cnn.com/2014/05/22/technology/innovation/fast-food-robot/index.html?hpt=hp_t2

- Faced with a $15 wage mandate, restaurants have to reduce the cost of service

- Chili's and Applebee's to place tablets on their tables, allowing diners to order and pay without interacting with human wait staff at all.


if chilli's/applebee's does that, then do you need to tip?

I've been to Chilis and used their "tablets".

You still interact with the server, the server still takes your money if you are paying with cash, they still bring you your food and drinks. They still check if you need refills.