DailyDirt: Robots Are Stealing Our Jobs

from the urls-we-dig-up dept

Robots are moving towards taking over more tasks that are boring and/or unpleasant for people to do. Some folks are concerned that robots will replace too many human jobs, but it'll take some time before robots are cheap enough to really replace a lot of people. Still, it really is just a matter of time before robot costs come down, so we'd better start preparing for the inevitable. Here are just a few robot projects that are trying to play nice with us. If you'd like to read more awesome and interesting stuff, check out this unrelated (but not entirely random!) Techdirt post.
Hide this

Thank you for reading this Techdirt post. With so many things competing for everyone’s attention these days, we really appreciate you giving us your time. We work hard every day to put quality content out there for our community.

Techdirt is one of the few remaining truly independent media outlets. We do not have a giant corporation behind us, and we rely heavily on our community to support us, in an age when advertisers are increasingly uninterested in sponsoring small, independent sites — especially a site like ours that is unwilling to pull punches in its reporting and analysis.

While other websites have resorted to paywalls, registration requirements, and increasingly annoying/intrusive advertising, we have always kept Techdirt open and available to anyone. But in order to continue doing so, we need your support. We offer a variety of ways for our readers to support us, from direct donations to special subscriptions and cool merchandise — and every little bit helps. Thank you.

–The Techdirt Team

Filed Under: automation, barber, baxter, manufacturing, robots, therapeutic robots


Reader Comments

Subscribe: RSS

View by: Time | Thread


  • identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 23 Oct 2012 @ 5:20pm

    I would not trust a remote-controlled barber

    I like my ears. Don't shave them off with a robot arm.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Scott, 23 Oct 2012 @ 5:50pm

    South Park Anyone?

    Now the robots have took our jobs. They took our jobs,Deker Derp.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 23 Oct 2012 @ 6:06pm

    Silly Humans

    Our ancestors toiled at work for generations. We have embraced technology (to an extent) and have created countless tools that can perform nearly all the work that we once did. So, do we benefit from our ingenuity? No, we complain that robots steal our jobs. What do you want a job for?

    There is really no reason that people should have to work anymore. People could literally work for a few months and then be rotated out. People could then do whatever they wished with their time. Isn't that the goal? Why would your goal be to work an 80 hour week?

    Take some time off, enjoy life, watch the clouds float by and quit believing in the myth that you need to work every day your entire life to be successful.

    It is a major shift of mindset to understand that humans no longer need to work as most currently feel we do.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      Rekrul, 24 Oct 2012 @ 2:19am

      Re: Silly Humans

      Explain that philosophy to the bill collectors...

      link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      Mr. Applegate, 24 Oct 2012 @ 4:32am

      Indeed, Silly Humans

      To follow your line of thinking, if there is no need to work, there is no need to learn either, is that correct? I mean if I don't need a job, why do I need to learn math or science, programming...

      Unfortunately, at least for me, I have yet to find anyone willing to pay me(at least anything approaching what I want to make) to do nothing. Without that pay, I have no roof over my head, no food, no water, no electricity, no heat or air conditioning, no TV, no car, no fuel (for the car), insurance to keep me healthy...

      In other words, without work (and thus pay), I have none of the things that make my life comfortable.

      Please tell me where your 'Utopian' society is. A place where no one works, and everyone reaps the benefits. Just one question, who keeps all the robots running? The apes I suppose.

      Finally, I proffer that most humans, by their nature are lazy, and without the desire for things like food, a home, a car, an xbox... many would be quite happy to not work at all.

      Wait, doesn't history teach of a society or two similar to this in the past. Obviously, they didn't use robots, they used slaves. The point was the same though. Why should we, the entitled be expected to work? We should enjoy life... In the long term it didn't seem to pan out to well for them.

      link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Pixelation, 23 Oct 2012 @ 6:19pm

    I'm just wondering what that third arm is used for...

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • icon
    Flix (profile), 23 Oct 2012 @ 6:47pm

    Robot and Frank. A must-see movie.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      Rekrul, 5 Nov 2012 @ 1:07pm

      Re:

      Robot and Frank. A must-see movie.

      It would help if it was being shown somewhere other than film festivals...

      link to this | view in chronology ]

  • icon
    Shon Gale (profile), 24 Oct 2012 @ 6:16am

    Where have you been? I started programming Robotics in 1980 for factories. It has only advanced since. The research hasn't stopped, nor has the coding. You need to look into AI also. It is ready to pilot Starships.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    F!, 24 Oct 2012 @ 8:12pm

    welcome to the future-past

    Haven't "they" been complaining of this since the industrial revolution? They were right, too. Send those damn robots back to where they came from.

    link to this | view in chronology ]


Follow Techdirt
Essential Reading
Techdirt Deals
Report this ad  |  Hide Techdirt ads
Techdirt Insider Discord

The latest chatter on the Techdirt Insider Discord channel...

Loading...
Recent Stories

This site, like most other sites on the web, uses cookies. For more information, see our privacy policy. Got it
Close

Email This

This feature is only available to registered users. Register or sign in to use it.