One Million Robots to Take Over Jobs of Foxconn Workers

[LORD_ORION]

[citation][nom]dcompart[/nom]As the robotic workforce expands the world's unemployment will increase as well. We might end up being luck at 9.1% (granted, this is a terrible #) compared to other countries down the road.[/citation]

The good news is you won't be stuck doing crap mind numbing jobs.

Also the real unemployment level is around 20%, because people whose benefits run out are not counted, but still clearly unemployed.

 

[Guest]

Plenty of unemployed people here in America who would like a job. They should outsource here.

 

[bin1127]

Anything a robot can do is worth automating. Let humans do things that are worthwhile for humans.

 

[burnley14]

It's too expensive now to pay Asian laborers? What is this world coming too?

 

[malphas]

The actual rate of suicides at Foxconn is lower than amongst western university students, they just have a massive number of factory employees so the actual number is, and since they're strongly associated with Apple it makes for attention grabbing press.

I mean, I'm sure the conditions there are awful, but that's the case almost everywhere, normal people don't kill themselves over it, even in places like China; and there are far worse places to work, like Nigeria for instance.

Moving labour from humans to automated machinery is an inevitability in almost every industry, even without the rising wage costs China is experiencing.

 

[sonofliberty08]

[citation][nom]buzznut[/nom]So..how long before the robots start jumping out the windows?[/citation]
[citation][nom]MasterMace[/nom]Robots are pretty dumb, so it might take 2 years for them to jump out instead of 1.[/citation]
as the robots became smarter , they will start to produce them self , and riot for fight back agains humans !!

 

[Azn Cracker]

Thats why you don't make them self aware.

 

[sonofliberty08]

[citation][nom]LORD_ORION[/nom]This is what doesn't make sense to me, outsource factories to China for cheap labor, but then replace workers with robots... that could and should be done in the US.[/citation]
maybe it was cheaper to produce robots in China

 

[Guest]

for a bunch of geeks you all seem to think robots = unemployment, i have worked with manufacturing for a long time, what i know is robot = different workforce, someone will have to install the robots, maintain the robots, program the robots, not sure if foxconn thought this out careful because the shift is to a highly skilled, highly trained more expensive, non disposable workforce

you save more money firing one of the top execs, heap loads more money.....

 

[malphas]

[citation][nom]NewWorkForce[/nom]for a bunch of geeks you all seem to think robots = unemployment, i have worked with manufacturing for a long time, what i know is robot = different workforce, someone will have to install the robots, maintain the robots, program the robots, not sure if foxconn thought this out careful because the shift is to a highly skilled, highly trained more expensive, non disposable workforceyou save more money firing one of the top execs, heap loads more money.....[/citation]
That's why automation is a good thing, it eliminates a bunch of low-pay menial jobs and creates some higher paid, skilled work. You're wrong if you think it doesn't result in a smaller workforce and lower wage bill for a company though.

 

[christop]

Reuters cites Gartner analyst C.K. Lu who says thanks to sharply rising employment costs, Foxconn essentially has no choice but to replace workers with robots.

Why not fire a few upper management and replace them with robots. Fuxcon already doesn't pay the workers decent so I can see the robots slitting their circuit boards just to get away.

 

[megamanx00]

Because bots don't commit suicide (they are bolted to the floor)

 

[buzznut]

[citation][nom]wintermint[/nom]Nice one! But seriously.. they don't deserve to be overworked like this :x[/citation]
Tru dat.

 

[ta152h]

[citation][nom]NewWorkForce[/nom]for a bunch of geeks you all seem to think robots = unemployment, i have worked with manufacturing for a long time, what i know is robot = different workforce, someone will have to install the robots, maintain the robots, program the robots, not sure if foxconn thought this out careful because the shift is to a highly skilled, highly trained more expensive, non disposable workforceyou save more money firing one of the top execs, heap loads more money.....[/citation]

You think it's going to create a million full time jobs? Sure it's going to create a few jobs, but much fewer than are being eliminated. Much fewer.

 

[bystander]

What is going to happen to the world when robotics are performing all the labor jobs? As robots take over more and more of the work force, how is our economy going to function? Only management and analysts will be needed, so how does money get spread out through the rest of the population?

I see huge hardship in the near future followed by radical changes in the way the economy works. Once people are no longer needed our system no longer works.

 

[malphas]

[citation][nom]bystander[/nom]What is going to happen to the world when robotics are performing all the labor jobs? As robots take over more and more of the work force, how is our economy going to function? Only management and analysts will be needed, so how does money get spread out through the rest of the population?I see huge hardship in the near future followed by radical changes in the way the economy works. Once people are no longer needed our system no longer works.[/citation]
Plenty of jobs either can't be replaced by machines or technically could but would be considered too socially undesirable to do so (which is why we don't have automats any more, after the novelty wore off); e.g. designers, engineers, architects, lawyers, doctors, nurses, actors, artists, musicians, waiting staff, personal assistants, carers, journalists, research scientists, teachers, police officers, firefighters, call centre staff, veterinarians, dentists, stylists, etc. etc.

 

[bystander]

[citation][nom]malphas[/nom]Plenty of jobs either can't be replaced by machines or technically could but would be considered too socially undesirable to do so (which is why we don't have automats any more, after the novelty wore off); e.g. designers, engineers, architects, lawyers, doctors, nurses, actors, artists, musicians, waiting staff, personal assistants, carers, journalists, research scientists, teachers, police officers, firefighters, call centre staff, veterinarians, dentists, stylists, etc. etc.[/citation]

Do you believe the majority of people out there can do most of those jobs? And the ones that most people can perform, do they pay enough to live off of? Our labor industries used to pay very well, which "was" our middle class, but as those labor jobs disappear, our middle class as also disappeared. Without the middle class, much of those above jobs also become a lot less needed as the low income can't afford it.

Can the rich have enough needs to support the poor in these jobs? These are just questions, ones that seem to be effecting our unemployment now.

 

[legacy7955]

All this lauding the installation of robotics in plants is laughable!

I've worked in a number of plants that are very "automated" with plenty of robotics and contrary to what so many here are saying they are often less reliable, and produce poorer quality than the worst human employees. Not only that when they fail they are EXPENSIVE to maintain and service.

Automation is just a "buzz word" that the Executives like to use to impress their equally greedy BoD and Shareholders.

The only worthless jobs that should be replaced by robots are the worthless executives, and Board of Directors.

 

[bystander]

[citation][nom]legacy7955[/nom]All this lauding the installation of robotics in plants is laughable!I've worked in a number of plants that are very "automated" with plenty of robotics and contrary to what so many here are saying they are often less reliable, and produce poorer quality than the worst human employees. Not only that when they fail they are EXPENSIVE to maintain and service. Automation is just a "buzz word" that the Executives like to use to impress their equally greedy BoD and Shareholders. The only worthless jobs that should be replaced by robots are the worthless executives, and Board of Directors.[/citation]

While this may be true in some areas, how do you think these chips are made? Humans are not capable of making all the chips put into computers. They have a billion transistors in a CPU the size of silver dollar. Obviously, automation does work in some areas and as technology improves, they are becoming better at other things too.

Don't expect humans to always be better at these jobs.

 

[tomaz99]

[citation][nom]DipMpw[/nom]Yeah, Foxconn, why pay decent wages to people so that everyone in the country lives a decent life when you can fire them all and get 1,234,123,213 robots, triple your profit while 1,000,000 people are out of a job and poorer than ever. GOOD JOB, that's how this world will prosper, the rich get even richer and the poor get even poorer.[/citation]


Why should Foxconn pay a decent wage...why don't YOU.

I'd be interested to see how many people, given the option, would check a box upon the purchase of a fancy new component to 'donate' an additional $20 for the worker...maybe $50, $100...it has to filter through ALL the 'workers' of a given product.

This is not a forced labor camp. It is a crappy job with little prospect of anything better. I'm sure the Mexican restaurant I went to last night wasn't paying the dish washer a decent wage...or the guy washing my car...or the guy changing my oil...or my hotel maid...They can quit like you or I can. Of course then you need to find another job. Why don't you quit or I quit? Its not a rosy world...it's usually really crappy for most of the people...

But you're lucking to live in a free country that allows you to donate toward 'decent' wages. Upon request I'll provide a PO box for my donations.

 

[antixbaby]

[citation][nom]malphas[/nom]The actual rate of suicides at Foxconn is lower than amongst western university students, they just have a massive number of factory employees so the actual number is, and since they're strongly associated with Apple it makes for attention grabbing press.I mean, I'm sure the conditions there are awful, but that's the case almost everywhere, normal people don't kill themselves over it, even in places like China; and there are far worse places to work, like Nigeria for instance.Moving labour from humans to automated machinery is an inevitability in almost every industry, even without the rising wage costs China is experiencing.[/citation]

Great post.

I'm mildly disturbed though by the number of posts that contain facts and logic that get voted down here. What are you people saying? That he/she's wrong?

I don't like what is happening with automation for all sorts of reasons, but as you can see, even communism can't stop "big, bad companies" from going in this direction.

 

[metro510]

These robots are the future of the workforce, whether you like it or not. unskilled manual labor will be obsolete in many industries soon, and it will put thousands upon thousands out of jobs, and while it will be a very tough time for these foxconn workers, its going to happen to a lot of other companies too. People need to pursue further education to be engineers or scientists. unskilled manual labor isnt going to exist in the future, so we need to prepare now for that moment when its going to die out and educate people on it instead of waiting till the last minute and surprising them.

 

[liveonc]

Jobs are sent to places where people work more for less & now they're building robots to take over those jobs because they're cheaper, so what will people do???

 

[BluntObjection]

[citation][nom]freggo[/nom]Time for Foxconn to find a low wage country for outsourcing![/citation]

Hey, look at it this way. If the value of the U.S. dollar drops anymore that might be us!

 

[11796pcs]

[citation][nom]DipMpw[/nom]Yeah, Foxconn, why pay decent wages to people so that everyone in the country lives a decent life when you can fire them all and get 1,234,123,213 robots, triple your profit while 1,000,000 people are out of a job and poorer than ever. GOOD JOB, that's how this world will prosper, the rich get even richer and the poor get even poorer.[/citation]
Poorer than ever? It's a communist society so the government SHOULD take care of them. Of course it's China so everything is messed up.