Automation and the Future of Work (or Lack Thereof)

[Jerome]

So another post with absolutely no attempt to provide evidence for your claims.

[Kael]

[Kamilah Hauptmann]

Originally Posted by Jerome

So another post with absolutely no attempt to provide evidence for your claims.

[BrotherMan]

Where I work now is a place that could benefit (itself) from more automation. I'm flabbergasted that it hasn't been done to any degree by now. It's all very hard, very grunty work. Automating would be a tremendous project, both in brain power and capital expense - I'm guessing that's the only real roadblock to it not having happened yet.

Literally, the entire facility would have to be completely gutted and overhauled. If indeed they ever decided to try it at this location. Whatever their incremental plan over the last however many years has always been for the near to mid term - the next iteration of the product or the next piece of equipment that either replaces an old one that is no longer feasible to keep or represents the next iteration of how to produce the pieces of industry - is still too short sighted to build for the mid-twenty first century.

When I look around I see a business that has grown by ad hoc additions and transitions as both technology and capability improved or changed. The building itself is old and not really fit for what it's doing now. They're in the third year of a five year plan to rearrange the process flow. I look around and think "This is the improved layout?" It sucks because I suppose they don't have the capital to change the building by adding further facilities. I'm honestly surprised there aren't more accidents incidents because of the lack of proper space and work flow streamlining.

That's going to be the next big hurdle for many businesses to automating their work force. Not the desire for cheapening labor by transitioning (which could also be accomplished by moving overseas, at least for now), but the engineering and capital to actually make the leap towards automating. It would mean shutting down - losing money by the gobful - to do it.

[Jerome]

Here we go.

California Gov. Jerry Brown on Thursday signed a bill that for the first time allows testing on public roads of self-driving vehicles with no steering wheels, brake pedals or accelerators. A human driver as backup is not required, but the vehicles will be limited to speeds of less than 35 mph.

Self-driving cars and Google get a boost

[Crumb]

Well, there goes California.

[Kamilah Hauptmann]

Propellerheads --- Take California - YouTube

[Adam]

Originally Posted by Ari

For those wondering the google self driving car fleet (let's remember this is a group of cars, not a single one) has been in about 26 incidents so far, 1 caused by the AI and the majority caused by other human drivers hitting them. It's pretty clear humans are the problem. Unless you are Jerome and then the AI is clearly at fault for human behavior because... fascist liberals!

From what I've read (no link handy, so tons of salt), a lot of the problem now is that humans are much better than computers at reading and reacting to the dumbshit things other humans are doing. While they'll probably get better as time goes on, the self-driving only areas you mention later are going to be where the big improvements come in, IMO.

[JoeP]

Originally Posted by Adam

... the self-driving only areas you mention later are going to be where the big improvements come in, IMO.

And then, the big deal will be the areas currently occupied by nothing (except drones) - self-driving flying cars. Cars and planes are some of the greatest - and most infuriating - innovations of the past ~100 years, and flying cars one of the greatest unfulfilled promises of the past ~50. Self-piloting could unlock the frustrated potential.

show spoiler

preemptive stfu jerome

[Angakuk]

I really hate those automatically flushing toilets in public restrooms. The damn things flush before I can inspect my work product. How am I to know whether I am a good boy or not if I can't see what I did?

show spoiler

Also posted elsewhere for maximum effect.

[JoeP]

When self-driving cars are the norm, what will happen to road rage? Will people be calmer? Or will the inner frustrations be vented on the computers? ... as we already have to most days.

And when self-flushing toilets are the norm, what will Ang do with his faecal fixation? Poop in a bucket, inspect, and then tip into the self-flushing toilet?

[JoeP]

Actually, it's a small but obvious step: the automatic toilet will (for regular customers like Ang) give you a report afterwards.

show spoiler

And an option to post a photo of the work product on 50 different threads at .

[Angakuk]

Originally Posted by JoeP

And when self-flushing toilets are the norm, what will Ang do with his faecal fixation? Poop in a bucket, inspect, and then tip into the self-flushing toilet?

Why are you using future tense?

[Jerome]

[Kamilah Hauptmann]

Originally Posted by Angakuk

Why are you using future tense?

[lisarea]

The first time my sister encountered an automatic flushing toilet, at an airport, she came busting out of the stall, all panicked and pulling her pants up, because apparently, she has a thing where she flushes the toilet last thing and then has to be out of the room before the flush is complete.

[JoeP]

Because plume?

Posted with Tapatalk

[lisarea]

I don't think so. My sister practices some pretty advanced juju, so she has a lot of 'things' like that that you only find out about when she comes busting, pantsless, out of an airport toilet stall and then has to explain herself.

[Kyuss Apollo]

But, shite plumes.