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Amazon grows to over 750k robots, replacing 100k humans

finance.yahoo.com

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Re: Amazon grows to over 750k robots, replacing 100k humans

#71

Post by logicchains »

air7 wrote: post #52

It's clear that technological development creates a shift in jobs, i.e some jobs are lost, but new ones are created as a result. Whether the total #jobs increases or decreases is debatable. The issue that I see addressed less often is that the new jobs require by definition, a higher skill set. (You wouldn't displace 100 manual labor workers with a machine that requires 105 workers to maintain). So by definition, the…

>The issue that I see addressed less often is that the new jobs require by definition, a higher skill set

No they don't. If AI reached the point where it was capable and willing to do all white collar work, there'd be no more need for humans to do that kind of intellectual work. What would still be needed is service jobs that rely on the "human touch", and trades that AI lacked the dexterity to do. We're already seeing that now, with AI posing a greater threat to programmers' jobs than to plumbers or electricians' jobs.

Re: Amazon grows to over 750k robots, replacing 100k humans

#72

Post by pjmlp »

genedan wrote: post #64
air7 wrote: post #52

It's clear that technological development creates a shift in jobs, i.e some jobs are lost, but new ones are created as a result. Whether the total #jobs increases or decreases is debatable. The issue that I see addressed less often is that the new jobs require by definition, a higher skill set. (You wouldn't displace 100 manual labor workers with a machine that requires 105 workers to maintain). So by definition, the…

Technology can also reduce the skills needed for jobs. For example, you no longer need to have an entire city's streets memorized to be a taxi driver.

Until you get replaced by a robot taxi.

Re: Amazon grows to over 750k robots, replacing 100k humans

#73

Post by yoyohello13 »

logicchains wrote: post #71
air7 wrote: post #52

It's clear that technological development creates a shift in jobs, i.e some jobs are lost, but new ones are created as a result. Whether the total #jobs increases or decreases is debatable. The issue that I see addressed less often is that the new jobs require by definition, a higher skill set. (You wouldn't displace 100 manual labor workers with a machine that requires 105 workers to maintain). So by definition, the…

>The issue that I see addressed less often is that the new jobs require by definition, a higher skill set No they don't. If AI reached the point where it was capable and willing to do all white collar work, there'd be no more need for humans to do that kind of intellectual work. What would still be needed is service jobs that rely on the "human touch", and trades that AI lacked the dexterity to do. We're already seei…

Oh good, now instead of creating things, everyone can have a fulfilling career at Starbucks.

Re: Amazon grows to over 750k robots, replacing 100k humans

#74

Post by doktor_oh_boli »

Loughla wrote: post #51
capybara_2020 wrote: post #37

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Assuming the world is moving towards more automation and high skilled(not sure this is the right term. But places where you need to be more adaptable and think more) jobs. Also assuming for a moment todays adults are the transitionary generation. How do we prepare the next generation for what is to come? It feels like schools are still stuck in the industrial age. How do we teach them not math and science but the act…

>How do we teach them not math and science but the actual act of learning/adapting. This is literally what they're trying to do. People complain about the way things like math (concepts instead of rote memorization of facts) and spelling (stems and etymology instead of rote memorization) are taught. People complain that kids aren't learning cursive and other things like that. But schools are trying to teach critical…

I, personally think teaching kids critical thinking is great. Here in Eastern Europe they are only taught useless facts and not to think too much on their own, remnant of the past I guess...

Re: Amazon grows to over 750k robots, replacing 100k humans

#75

Post by genedan »

layer8 wrote: post #69
genedan wrote: post #64

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Technology can also reduce the skills needed for jobs. For example, you no longer need to have an entire city's streets memorized to be a taxi driver.

I don’t think there was ever a taxi driver shortage because city streets are too difficult to memorize.

Rideshare and delivery apps have enabled more people to do those jobs than before.

Re: Amazon grows to over 750k robots, replacing 100k humans

#77

Post by Engineering-MD »

wolverine876 wrote: post #67
techdmn wrote: post #20

About 20 years ago I was a programmer at a manufacturing company. I worked on a project to automate part of materials requirements planning. The woman who was in charge of it was spending about 20 hours per week wrangling Excel spreadsheets to figure out what materials they needed. It was all based on data we had: inventory, orders, etc. A few weeks later, and with a fair amount of her help, I'd automated the whole t…

> That project took half a job out of the economy. A decent one at that, a nice cushy desk job. Or it allowed the employee to shift to more valuable, interesting work rather than menial tasks that could easily be done by a computer.

I would disagree with the inference that menial tasks are automated and interesting work isn’t. I can clearly see a future where the pleasure is automated away leaving the stressful uncomfortable tasks to the human.

Re: Amazon grows to over 750k robots, replacing 100k humans

#78

Post by tossandthrow »

air7 wrote: post #52

It's clear that technological development creates a shift in jobs, i.e some jobs are lost, but new ones are created as a result. Whether the total #jobs increases or decreases is debatable. The issue that I see addressed less often is that the new jobs require by definition, a higher skill set. (You wouldn't displace 100 manual labor workers with a machine that requires 105 workers to maintain). So by definition, the…

the job displacement could be in the care sector. that is what usually happened.

I don't think being a caregiver necessarily is a more complex job than the ones being displaced.

Re: Amazon grows to over 750k robots, replacing 100k humans

#79

Post by ben_w »

pjmlp wrote: post #68

So much for IA helping to create jobs.

Doesn't say much about that either way, as Amazon in particular already had a known problem of running out of people willing to work for them: https://www.vox.com/recode/23170900/leaked-amazon-memo-wareh...

The last 200 years of automation being followed by new jobs is slightly stronger evidence that further automation will lead to new jobs, but I don't see any way that could remain true once AI is actually human performance when on hardware that runs under some appropriate electrical power threshold. Induction and Turkeys.

Re: Amazon grows to over 750k robots, replacing 100k humans

#80

Post by [deleted] »

capybara_2020 wrote: post #37
techdmn wrote: post #20

About 20 years ago I was a programmer at a manufacturing company. I worked on a project to automate part of materials requirements planning. The woman who was in charge of it was spending about 20 hours per week wrangling Excel spreadsheets to figure out what materials they needed. It was all based on data we had: inventory, orders, etc. A few weeks later, and with a fair amount of her help, I'd automated the whole t…

Assuming the world is moving towards more automation and high skilled(not sure this is the right term. But places where you need to be more adaptable and think more) jobs. Also assuming for a moment todays adults are the transitionary generation. How do we prepare the next generation for what is to come? It feels like schools are still stuck in the industrial age. How do we teach them not math and science but the act…

[deleted]
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