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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

#171

Post by SpicyLemonZest »

blub wrote: post #160
mft_ wrote: post #112

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Can I just clarify: you're saying that Amazon, despite offering jobs which are (apparently) less bad than other alternatives, are participating in systemic oppression of the working class? In your view, what should Amazon do to not systemically oppress the working class?

Pay a living wage and offer humane working conditions. This is not rocket science...

The question is whether that's an achievable thing, or whether people will always complain that whatever Amazon does is a non-living wage and inhumane working conditions.

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

#172

Post by EugeneOZ »

nepeckman wrote: post #163
EugeneOZ wrote: post #107

Surprised to find so many modern Luddites in comments. History lessons says that new professions will appear.

And all those middle age workers will, what? Just be retrained? Who's paying for that? What happens when the retraining fails (as it so often does) because you can't magically turn a truck driver into a software engineer? I don't think any of the comments here are anti-progress. But we do need a social and political plan to handle the automation of a large number of low skill jobs. Failure to plan for this future wil…

> And all those middle age workers will, what?

They will be fired, yes. This cruel world, where people should care about competitiveness of their skills. It starts right after the school.

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

#173

Post by KON_Air »

polskibus wrote: post #166

It's awesome that the boxing machine is not patented by Amazon but is owned by an independent (? for now?) company. It means that others can access this tech and that Amazon won't close it before competitors. If it works, I believe Amazon won't wait for long with the takeover though. It's great because Google et al tend to keep a lot to themselves, not offering hardware on the market (for example full version of the…

I would like to remind you such machines are not built because it requires some genius touch in design, they are not built because there is little demand for them. But yeah, tool being not locked under some patent by some monopoly or the other is a good thing.

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

#174

Post by flyingplasma »

Looks like it's not just Amazon "JD.com Inc and Shutterfly Inc have used the machines as well, the companies said, as has Walmart Inc. Walmart started 3.5 years ago and has since installed the machines in several U.S. locations"

And they are faster too "They crank out 600 to 700 boxes per hour, or four to five times the rate of a human packer"

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

#175

Post by mlcrypto »

onion2k wrote: post #55
Ajedi32 wrote: post #45

Earlier quoted context omitted.

And from there?

Is this where you try to claim trickle down economics works despite the top 20% of people owning more than 80% of the financial assets? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wealth_inequality_in_the_Unite...

The 20/80 rule applies in all aspects of life. Like 20% of the soccer players account for 80% of the goals. So why wouldn't we expect it to apply to money as well? This is like a law of gravity. You can attempt to fight against it artificially but eventually it will come crashing down

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

#176

Post by theflyinghorse »

logicprog wrote: post #153
sundaeofshock wrote: post #96

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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).

Where does the money for the yachet go?

To the yacht builders of course. There happens to be only a few of those however.

I think if that money were to be spent by 10,000 people buying everyday groceries, cars, clothing the economic benefit would be far greater.

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

#177

Post by User23 »

_ea1k wrote: post #167
PorterDuff wrote: post #94

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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…

> 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. I've been studying this lately, and it really seems to be more than that. Consumers love to compare goods based upon initial purchase price (or even loan payment price) with relatively little re…

This generalizes: most individuals can't or won't think past the first order effects of any decision. Marketers know this and prey on it accordingly.

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

#178

Post by throwaway55554 »

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.

Empathy isn't tech's strong suit.

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

#179

Post by snarf21 »

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…

I think you are diminishing the importance of brands and brand loyalty for companies. A lot of effort is spent to have boxes designed for retail; size, shape, color, etc. matter a lot for this use case. Resistance to weather and being thrown around are not the main consideration of this use case. Standard size boxes that are shippable might be good for Amazon and the consumer but companies always want the brand front and center.

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

#180

Post by shiftpgdn »

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…

The vast majority (95%, including lots of oddball pcbs, fasteners, etc) of my recent Amazon deliveries have come from an Amazon van. I'm almost surprised they don't offer a reusable bin or something of that nature. It feels wasteful to throw away so many boxes.
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