Rise of the fast-food serving machines (robots at McDs)

http://marshallbrain.com/robotic-nation.htm


Fascinating.

Most of our decent-paying manufacturing jobs are replaced by low-paying McDonald's jobs - now those can be replaced by robots. Wonder who is going to be left to eat at McDonald's when unemployment hits a chronic 40%?

At least the robots don't have arteries to get clogged up with cholestrol and saturated fat.

replacing people with technology - or doing something that "might eliminate jobs", like moving from gas lights to electric lost all the gas lighters their jobs.

So we go automated and robotic? Gonna create a lot more jobs in the McDOnald's kiosk manufacturing, and more importantly REPAIR trades.

I can't imagine that the McD kiosk system is gonna catch on and be accepted by people, and I don't see it eliminating jobs - someone still has to put the burgers together, someone still has to deliver the food.

Though I would prefer to see less of this from a purely humanistic viewpoint, of liking to interact with people better than machines. But on the other hand, if you can order from a kiosk, you don't have to worry about some barely literate unfriendly schmuck taking your order with a bunch of attitude, who refuses to acknowledge your humanity, refuses to enunciate when saying "fouruffytuififi" and doesn't say "thank you" or "have a nice day".

So, maybe the kiosks are better - I can order "without pickles" without being harassed; I can see exactly my order and make changes if needed, etc.

But job loss? Maybe, but new opportunities always present themselves.

... Cuba, Venezuela, etc. etc.?

*shrug* Seems that the military often serves as the haven of unemployed youth. Looks like all of this automation will free up a lot of younger workers.

Of course, it doesn't HAVE to be that way. Maybe we really can have an expansion of AmeriCorps and the Peace Corps... not just talk about it in a SOTU full of lies.

As far as these catching on... several people I've talked to who have spent time in Europe in the past decade say that food kiosks are rather common there... if it caught on there, I don't see why it can't here. But who knows, Americans are strange sometimes.

there will be revolution in the streets, downfall of civilization, real men-will-become-the-eater-of-men stuff...
And as a former construction worker- I'll believe it when I see it. those robots won't last long when people are continually whacking them with 2x4's, and pushing them down elevator shafts, and the like.
Trade Unionists won't take kindly to losing good-paying jobs to machines.
I'd really like to see how the longshoremen handle them...I hope I live to see the day...

would be funny to watch the longshoremen!