One Million Robots to Take Over Jobs of Foxconn Workers

[malphas]

[citation][nom]bystander[/nom]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.[/citation]
It's a constant transition. At one time it wasn't necessary to be able to read and write, or have basic numeracy skills to make a way in life, now the vast majority of people learn those skills through education. Even now in the developed world it's become increasingly necessary and expected for people to have a college education or learn a professional skill if they expect to find employment, as most of the unskilled labour jobs have become automated or outsourced. You can't go back to a pre-industrial revolution economy, in the future having a higher eduction and/or a trained skill set will be basic prerequisites to worthwhile employment, as unskilled jobs simply wont exist.

 

[gr8mikey]

I hate to say it, but this is extreme out of control capitalism at its finest. Profit above everything else! Without jobs, how is the wealth creation of manufacturing supposed to be distributed to the people in order to buy the products? How is that supposed to work? Tax the corporation and distribute it to the populace so that they can buy what is produced? If machines do all of the work, what is left for humans to do?

 

[bystander]

[citation][nom]gr8mikey[/nom]I hate to say it, but this is extreme out of control capitalism at its finest. Profit above everything else! Without jobs, how is the wealth creation of manufacturing supposed to be distributed to the people in order to buy the products? How is that supposed to work? Tax the corporation and distribute it to the populace so that they can buy what is produced? If machines do all of the work, what is left for humans to do?[/citation]

While I fear what's going to happen to people, and I expect a very rough next 100 years, it can still work with way things are going. Those taking advantage of the system are not at fault, although it would be nice if the government could find a way to make everyone's lives easier during this transition.

High unemployment is probably going to be the norm as these changes of technology continue. It used to be, you went to school or trained for a job that would exist a very long time. Now, in many fields, they disappear in favor of new jobs, which requires new training, new schooling and a long transition without work.

At some point, the government will likely have to step in and find a way to help those in transition survive, or maybe the corporations can do this (not likely) and if things progress enough, a capitalist economy will not work, but that doesn't mean something else won't.

 

[bystander]

[citation][nom]malphas[/nom]It's a constant transition. At one time it wasn't necessary to be able to read and write, or have basic numeracy skills to make a way in life, now the vast majority of people learn those skills through education. Even now in the developed world it's become increasingly necessary and expected for people to have a college education or learn a professional skill if they expect to find employment, as most of the unskilled labour jobs have become automated or outsourced. You can't go back to a pre-industrial revolution economy, in the future having a higher eduction and/or a trained skill set will be basic prerequisites to worthwhile employment, as unskilled jobs simply wont exist.[/citation]

Frankly, I do not believe all people are capable of higher education. There comes a point that the average person cannot succeed. If the job market requires skills beyond the capability of the average man to succeed, despite his best efforts, things will become interesting.

 

[malphas]

[citation][nom]bystander[/nom]Frankly, I do not believe all people are capable of higher education. There comes a point that the average person cannot succeed. If the job market requires skills beyond the capability of the average man to succeed, despite his best efforts, things will become interesting.[/citation]
I disagree, the average person is easily capable of attaining an undergraduate degree, especially if the standard of pre-university education is raised. In addition there's the alternative of learning professional trade skills and the creative industries (as I mentioned earlier) rather than purely academic subjects. There's no reason for the majority of people to be capable of only unskilled manual labour. That said, obviously there will always be people that fall through the cracks, and end up working in the service industry or relying on welfare, but that's always been the case.

 

[adobejesus]

"Foxconn aims to use one million robots in three years time as part of an effort to tackle rising labor costs." ... More like an effort to tackle rising suicide rates! LOL

 

[bystander]

[citation][nom]malphas[/nom]I disagree, the average person is easily capable of attaining an undergraduate degree, especially if the standard of pre-university education is raised. In addition there's the alternative of learning professional trade skills and the creative industries (as I mentioned earlier) rather than purely academic subjects. There's no reason for the majority of people to be capable of only unskilled manual labour. That said, obviously there will always be people that fall through the cracks, and end up working in the service industry or relying on welfare, but that's always been the case.[/citation]

I'm not as optimistic as you are in this area. The rapidly changing requirements keep rising and if you look outside the US, you'll find that most people aren't even given a high school education. I am also not talking about this generation only, as tech grows, so does the requirements to understand it.

And lets not forget that costs to go to college is rising at an alarming rate. It'll be more difficult to afford, even if you could graduate.

 

[metro510]

[citation][nom]liveonc[/nom]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???[/citation]

They will become the people who engineer these robots, program these robots, scientists working to improve the component performance of these robots or other education-requiring jobs in other fields such as medicine or agriculture. It doesnt make sense to have someone who could be a bioengineer or a doctor moving around construction materials or doing the same processes over and over again on an assembly line. There will still be people who check the quality of the products and make sure there arent bugs in the assembly but for the most part any manual labor that can be done by a machine will be done by a machine

 

[nebun]

robots are the future.....they don't tire and can do certain jobs a lot better, especially electronics

 

[dark_lord69]

[citation][nom]buzznut[/nom]So..how long before the robots start jumping out the windows?[/citation]
That's some funny shit!

 

[enforcer22]

[citation][nom]Metro510[/nom]They will become the people who engineer these robots, program these robots, scientists working to improve the component performance of these robots or other education-requiring jobs in other fields such as medicine or agriculture. It doesnt make sense to have someone who could be a bioengineer or a doctor moving around construction materials or doing the same processes over and over again on an assembly line. There will still be people who check the quality of the products and make sure there arent bugs in the assembly but for the most part any manual labor that can be done by a machine will be done by a machine[/citation]

Im sure if they had the ability or means to do something else they would.. People dont chose these jobs ya know. Not everyone was born rich. Not everyone can afford the time in a school to learn to be a bio engineer then there is the whole maybe they dont want to be one

 

[henydiah]

hi Sexy ... robot !

 

[invlem]

[citation][nom]BeetlejuiceGr[/nom]Foxconn is evil guys. Now that you mentioned "apple" i will tell you one thing. A friend had a mini-mac and had no sound. Not even a sound device was seeing in the OS. So i opened it to see what is going on...the board responsible for the minijacks of the sound card was FOXCONN!! and ofc it was glued with silicon glue really bad way...FOXCONN IS EVIL!! even APPLE is using stuff from foxconn that they suck anyway. Some years ago my brother didnt ask my opinion and bought a cheap motherboard from...foxconn...it went dead in 5 months...A motherboard from..asus i think, had a fan on the chipset made from foxconn...it died in 2 months...I really dont like foxconn, i feel its not to be trusted in their hardware...[/citation]

The funny part about this is you'll be hard pressed to open any electronic device these days that doesn't have at least 1 part made by Foxconn.

 

[darkavenger123]

Very soon, we'll have rebel robots, disgruntled with FoxConn, they ally themselves with SkyNet....and we'll have the RISE OF THE MACHINES...

The Terminators are coming!!!

 

[craighay]

No Worries, it's all sorted: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Why_the_future_doesn't_need_us

Martin Ford author of The Lights in the Tunnel: Automation, Accelerating Technology and the Economy of the Future [6] makes the case that the risk posed by accelerating technology may be primarily economic in nature. Ford argues that before technology reaches the point where it represents a physical existential threat, it will become possible to automate nearly all routine and repetitive jobs in the economy. In the absence of a major reform to the capitalist system, this could result in massive unemployment, plunging consumer spending and confidence, and an economic crisis potentially even more severe than the Great Depression.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4-DXbWfMfdg (Planned Human Extermination)

 

[mkrijt]

In other news: number of robot suicides climbed to new heights...

 

[feeddagoat]

I guess the the redundant employees can maintain the robots instead. I've been playing new vegas too much and get getting images of the robco factory >.>

 

[acadia11]

"Rising salary costs should be the key reason why Foxconn is doing this. This year's wage increase has been quite significant and I don't expect the pace to slow down next year," Lu said, adding, "If they don't do this, they will have to move their factories elsewhere."

Oh my god, so you mean to tell me Chinese factory will move where? Didn't they talk to the GOP, all you have to do is cut taxes on corporations and they will keep their jobs at home.

 

[acadia11]

[citation][nom]NuclearShadow[/nom]Wait, what? So they gave out those raises which was likely a PR move to counter all the bad press and now they are doing lay-offs because of the raise in cost of the labor? The raise in cost that they put upon themselves?[/citation]

And after the phillippine workes realize working for 10 cents an hour is absurd, and they start getting wage increases, then where do these factories go next.

 

[verbalizer]

a feeble attempt to curb the suicide rate...
instead of human employees jumping off buildings (they even installed catch nets);
the robots will rise up under poor working conditions (voltage drops) and the 'revolution' will commence.

 

[flclkun]

i would be nice to just start threatening COE's with death for doing things like this. This is all because they want more money to bring home in their pockets.

 

[rantoc]

So this IS how the skynet is borned. Treat people like trash, people suicides. Treat robots like trash they go postal. Awesome!

 

[Thor]

It's what we call "Crisis" (mean rich want make more and more and more billions)
So they use China/India slaves when Robot are not able again to do the dirty work.
When Robots will exist they will choose them.

So People will say: Wonderful no slave anymore.

Well it's mean no jobs too.
Sure Stars/Politician/etc. Rich will have all time a jobs.

Just question of time before they have 7 billions of people without a job.
WONDERFUL !

 

[Thor]

But who care since the best weapon of the Universe exist: The Television !

 

[halls]

Capitalism at work. Feel bad for the workers =/