Well proponents of the 15 dollar minimum wage, it seems the expected acceleration to automation in fast food is here. A fast food franchise can put a Floppy 2 system in their store to cook the burgers faster than a person can, for $3,000 a month. Figure the restaurant is open 18 hours a day, 30 days a month on average, with employee cost of $10 an hour (18x$10X30=$5,400 + FICA and benefits) or $15 an hour (18x$15x30=$8,100 + FICA and benefits). The machine is rented, so it is a fully deductible expense for a lot less cost. And the machine will do the task the same way each time, with no training, discipline or labor issues.
The issue is that they have incentive to pick up the pace of automation. They are looking at managing costs, which will make them more competitive and allow them to target market share. You seem to have a leftist one dimensional view of business. They need to attract customers, and price is a major factor in the food service industry. They have to make a profit to stay in business, but they need to compete. Lower operating costs allow for a competitive pricing advantage.
I support manufacturing companies with a litany or supplies, including robotic equipment.
I am familiar with the automation of building a PCB, to hamburgers.
You are missing the point. The US economy, is ran by the financial industry. does not matter what industry one is in, once they become bigger than a small company…they need to play the Wall Street game…or they will not survive.
It did not used to be like this. FTR, I blame both parties for this…it started with Reagan…and democrats got into the same game. Even today. Have you heard Biden put any blame on the current inflation issue on the monopolistic practices we have today? Nope. And we all should know why.
Wall Street owns DC. Some Democrats are trying to do something about it…yet not one Republican is interested in fixing hat issue. Hell, McConell loves to raise money from eager donors.
In 1969 R. Buckminster Fuller Published a book called “Operating Manual for Spaceship Earth”. In it he proposed that there would be a time where computers and automation would take over the majority of tasks in society. His time frame linked that happening to be approximately Earth’s national resources were used up and we had to find and use alternative energy sources. His premise was that mankind given the extra time not having to work for a living would expand the arts and put a end to war. And in that light we should all embrace every strive towards more automation.
So….close down businesses….freeze rent payments…distribute free money while cutting production….and blame capitalism for inflation.
Not surprised.
Profit is the basic requirement of being considered capitalistic but it’s far from “all”, unless you’re outside of this system, have no experience or expertise and looking in, eating what the sheople troughs are feeding? During the past two years, one of the most important things to me was employee turnover. What took decades to create, was being destroyed by a government, ill managed pandemic. In spite of all of this, not one employee turned over and now that we’re coming out from under this pandemic, it’s all systems go from with in. There are still many, many external factors prohibiting most businesses from going full speed but the machine is entirely intact.
And what if this amazing automated grill fails? I’ve worked for various companies that took such tasks as booking appointments by computer, and the system was so unreliable it cost customers.
Some of these automated systems are more grief & aggravation than they’re worth, and require some level of technical expertise to maintain & troubleshoot. And the repairs aren’t always local.
While at the V A, Roy, who was way cool, frequently repaired one of the machines used in medical research. The V A was in a down & out part of Boston.
Roy’s home base was Minneapolis, and these repairs aren’t cheap. The automated return system at my local library is ■■■■■and it isn’t even good ■■■■■It has me owing $30 for a book I returned weeks ago—through the automated window that’s frequently listed Out of Service but on return day, it was “working”.
It amazes me how much some buy into the hype surrounding both western medicine and modern technology. P.T. Barnum was right. There’s a sucker born every minute.
Ok what do those of tou who blindly accept automation suggest for those workers who may be displaced? Some may be teens working a first job.
Others may be stay at home moms who haven’t worked outside the home in awhile and are willing to do entry level jobs to get a foot in the door. Still others may be laid off workers in between gigs, or new immigrants, or retirees wanting time outside the home & some pocket cash.
What are your suggestions for them? Or is it going to be the usual get off welfare and get a damn job â– â– â– â– â– all the while gloating that automation will even take over trash takeout & floor mopping?
I’d label it that the compensation is equal to the skill level required to perform the skill. This is an entry level job that requires little to no skills. Kids going to school can do this on the side to earn some extra money but it isn’t a career choice. There will be a manager there to manage this unskilled labor and they will earn more due to the additional responsibilities required. That may be a career choice?
BOO!