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Amazon rolls out machines that pack orders and replace jobs

reuters.com

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Re: Amazon rolls out machines that pack orders and replace jobs

#91

Post by ed_balls »

Eridrus wrote: post #34
psychometry wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Automation isn't the problem. These jobs being lost are terrible and no one should do them. The problem, as always, is capitalism. Amazon wouldn't be where it is today without its massive workforce, including its army of factory workers. None of the people losing their jobs will benefit from this increase in productivity, though. Those gains will go only to the people at the top. Meanwhile, there will be more competi…

The gains will also go to those making the robots and those buying from Amazon.

> those buying from Amazon

Only if there is enough competition.

Re: Amazon rolls out machines that pack orders and replace jobs

#92

Post by rch »

csours wrote: post #12

Is there a field of study associated with job creation? The answer is not actually obvious. There's a lot of research into efficiency, which is almost synonymous with job destruction. Edit: Thanks for the answers below. I was thinking of academic areas of research. For example, Macroeconomics, Labor Relations, Governance, Management Theory etc.

Certain segments of the agriculture industry seem promising, since smaller scale operations could benefit from efficiencies in logistics and distribution that were traditionally drivers of consolidation.

Re: Amazon rolls out machines that pack orders and replace jobs

#93

Post by vorpalhex »

double0jimb0 wrote: post #54
dickeytk wrote: post #42

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They’ve done this https://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=...

No, that's not what Frustration Free Packaging is. "FFP" is just easy to open cardboard product packaging, basically no blister packs. They still put your FFP box into another bigger shipping box.

This depends on the product. Significant amounts of FFP are meant to reduce waste and not require overboxing.

Re: Amazon rolls out machines that pack orders and replace jobs

#94

Post by PorterDuff »

sandworm101 wrote: post #35

I'm surprised that Amazon still uses boxes. They have the market power to insist manufacturers comply with amazon-specific packaging requirements. Why not just insist that all products be packaged in postal-compatible packaging? Then the amazon warehouse robot need only slap a label on the product and throw it in the shipping bin. Another answer would be to have products packaged in standard, or at lease square, boxe…

Smart dudes have wrestled over those problems for years. I think the strongest case for dropshipping would be new cars. The dealerships have presented a problem for people for years, but they are politically well connected.

It's a lot easier for a manufacturer to send a boxcar of toilet paper to a warehouse (Amazon or otherwise) than to mail the case to you. Lacking Amazon or Safeway, they'd probably just recreate a similar system in the form of a co-op.

In any case, I don't doubt they've gamed and spreadsheeted the bejeepers out of dropshipping, returnable containers, standardized containers, third party (USPS) vs. self shipping vs. drones, etc.

Re: Amazon rolls out machines that pack orders and replace jobs

#95

Post by Ajedi32 »

SolaceQuantum wrote: post #71
Ajedi32 wrote: post #45

Earlier quoted context omitted.

And from there?

And from there to fund already rich parties to continue to enforce control in a way that washes Bezos' hands clean of any wrongdoing. Outsourcing the task of maintaining inequality, per se. (Billionares funding millionares springs to mind). Or, stated with less emotional rhetoric: Funding 1$ to the wealthy returns 0.7$ to the economy. So, from 'there' nothing, because Bezos' pocket is keeping it.

> Funding 1$ to the wealthy returns 0.7$ to the economy.

So going solely by that figure, as long as the gain in efficiency from automating a job is > 42% it's a net positive for the economy? And that's even _if_ you assume 100% of the savings goes directly into the company owner's pockets and isn't simply being re-invested somewhere else.

Re: Amazon rolls out machines that pack orders and replace jobs

#96

Post by sundaeofshock »

Ajedi32 wrote: post #45
egypturnash wrote: post #36

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Bezos’ pockets.

And from there?

He will horde most of it. Occasionally he will spend on lobbying efforts, purchase insane luxury items (ie yachts), or vanity projects. Sometimes, he will splurge on a business that employee a few people. When he is feeling particularly generous, he may contribute to some project that makes home look good while putting his name on something (ie new opera house).

Re: Amazon rolls out machines that pack orders and replace jobs

#97

Post by BrendanD »

This story started me wondering whether hardware, in this case Amazon order packing automatons, or wetware has a smaller net lifetime carbon footprint, assuming both are as green as possible. (Ignoring, of course global over-population and/or mass over-consumption of essentially disposable goods.). These days I am having a hard time imagining that technology could ever have the negative carbon footprint required to mitigate climate change.

Re: Amazon rolls out machines that pack orders and replace jobs

#98

Post by bamboozled »

asdfman123 wrote: post #62
CodeMage wrote: post #46

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Sure, it's good news, just not for the people you're thinking of. Think about people who work in Amazon warehouses despite those conditions. Why do they do that? Because the alternatives are worse. This just removes these jobs and leaves them to face those alternatives.

I think HN's tune would be quite different if someone came up with a technology that eliminated half of all programming jobs. Not quite so many people would be saying, "This is great! I for one look forward to technological advancement." I do think the future should involve more automation, I just think we should be -- I dunno, a little less gleeful about it and think about the people it's impacting.

Let's be honest, this is really just a matter of time.

Re: Amazon rolls out machines that pack orders and replace jobs

#99

Post by EugeneOZ »

oliwarner wrote: post #80
irrational wrote: post #5

This sounds like good news. I've read lots of negative stories about the working conditions in Amazon warehouses. It would be great if all the jobs could be automated.

That's certainly one way of looking at it but I would worry if your answer to "those workers are being abused!" is always "make them redundant via automation". Amazon's warehouse workers were abused because Amazon , not because those jobs should have been automated. They could have had more break time. They could have had lower targets. Pay them more. Paternity leave. So many things you can do to improve working cond…

> Pay them more

Why, if Amazon can replace them by robots?

Re: Amazon rolls out machines that pack orders and replace jobs

#100

Post by NotSammyHagar »

gridlockd wrote: post #79
amedvednikov wrote: post #67

Earlier quoted context omitted.

UBI. Then we can be gleeful about more automation.

A UBI in the salary range of an Amazon warehouse worker would be on the order of 1/3rd GDP.

That's much higher than I expect, citation? I was told there would be math.
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