Leaked documents reveal Amazon aims to replace 600,000 US workers with robots

[LemmingO]

Amazon literally started in a dude’s garage. You don’t have to like it. Perhaps respect it—cause that’s called, effort.

This bs myth that Bezos spreads about "starting in his garage" has been debunked ages ago, it's the fact he started it from his parents' house in Seattle. Amazon tries to propagandize the initial years of the company.

Not taking away he's sharp as a tack (He was a VP at a Wall Street investment firm, and a VP at the Bankers trust before that, all this before the age of 30). Despite holding high-paying jobs, he still had to use his parents' money to create Amazon.

He did have the right idea and the right execution, but let's not ****ing romanticize what he did. By your measure, everyone has $300K in their back pocket, and can live at their parents' house till they make it big, and if they don't they're just plain lazy?

Also, evidence of Capitalism generating great innovation is quasi-anecdotal. It generates innovation, sure, but only by comparison to other systems that are utterly contemptible (e.g. Communism). Many countries in Europe are far from "Capitalist", and yet Europe has generated the majority of the world's innovation, believe it or not. What the US did was take that innovation and turned it into consumer products. The US - whose industrial base was completely unscathed by WW2 - was able to acquire all the talent fleeing from Europe and got a huge head start over the rest of the world. Since the US has now become a plutocratic regime, with barely a few degrees of separation from regimes like the Russian Federation, it is only a matter of time until it loses its advantage to countries like China.

What people remember of the American Dream is a myth conjured up during the Cold War. Right now there is absolutely nothing good about America, even if you hallucinate and think Musk/Bezos/Zuckerberg/Gates/Page/Brin/Cook are driving innovation, they are only thinking of how to make money through innovation. The world isn't a better place thanks to Tesla/Amazon/Facebook/Google/Apple. They just took what others invented and monetized it. Monetization is VERY different from elevating quality of life.

TL;DR: Suggesting "nothing's stopping you" from doing the same as Bezos is absolutely deluded.

 

[sdms96825]

So, this is a good move by Amazon? I can see some 600,000 persons (and maybe 4 times more family members) becoming former customers of Amazon.

 

[OortCloud]

I wonder at what point do we realise that AI and robots will produce devastating effects on society? Does just a single companies plans to lose over half a million employees start making you wonder, or like environmental destruction, are the stupids going to drown out reasonable debate, stick their heads up their a55es and pretend it's not an issue. AI will make a tiny set of people even richer whilst making the majority massively poorer.

 

[FaTaL]

Amazon reportedly knows that there will be an inevitable backlash against the job losses.

they dont care and neither do you. you're still gonna buy sht from them.

 

[Knot Schure]

I wonder at what point do we realise that AI and robots will produce devastating effects on society? Does just a single companies plans to lose over half a million employees start making you wonder, or like environmental destruction, are the stupids going to drown out reasonable debate, stick their heads up their a55es and pretend it's not an issue. AI will make a tiny set of people even richer whilst making the majority massively poorer.

Again, for those of you at the back...

***Jobs are a by-product, not the mission.***

 

[JMGuy]

Sure every poor person is poor just because they're lazy. Explain to me how Basil's has net worth of billions and there's people that work at Amazon that are on state benefits. What a **** take on the situation and yet you have the audacity to just decry everyone poor and lazy.

First off, it’s not a **** take—simply a fact of life. Some people win and some lose. It works that way in EVERY system. There is no such thing as saving everyone.

Second, don’t shovel words in my mouth. I said sitting on the sideline whining about how unfair capitalism is, instead of leaning in and building something, is lazy. And it is. So go grow some fuzz on your pair and learn to read before stepping kid.

Third, nobody here is defending the suggestion that Bazos has too much. You’re right, he does. So do a lot of people. If you re-read my post you’ll note that I very much agree the system is flawed. But that also doesn’t mean socialism or communism are working models. If you don’t like people being poor then you absolutely won’t like either of those systems—they crush dreams into fine dirt and and anybody who bothers with a history book and flirts with a modicum of logic knows this.

Defending the poor is noble. We absolutely should be working to help those less fortunate pull themselves up. I volunteer, support local charity, and vote for those leaders that I think have policies that will help those that want to contribute do so. But I also don’t give hand-outs—people need to help themselves when the opportunities exist. I support organizations like FareStart in Seattle because they support people in actuality. There are absolutely things people can do.

The number of people I’ve met that started life living on a dirt floor before immigrating to this country and making a million is more fingers than I have. The system absolutely works my friend—that’s why there are so many people begging to get in. The world outside the USA sees hope here because they’ve got a clue of those other systems and many live in them now. You, like so many of my fellow citizens living inside it (I assume), can’t see a good thing in your face and seemingly just want to whine about how you have to work to get yours when you’ve been handed half the battle by birthright.

Look, we’re done here. I’m not interested in a back and forth. You need to go back to school. This is the world and your take is the one with a lack of good ideas and even worse reading comprehension. Be a solution or be a whiny beotch. In either case, I’m out.

 

[Starfals]

These are the mundane boring af jobs that robots should be doing. People are just pissed, because now they have to actually not be dumb ucks and get some sort of education and better themselves. Oh the horror...

I should tell the low IQ (for real, shes actually dumb) sister of my friend that she should just die right? Cant pass even middle school. Now she cleans and does these kind of jobs. She is a great person, funny and sweet. Should this planet only be for the top of the top? Only for the smart? Not everyone can go to school either. For many reasons. What you said is 100% true, but also... people are born sick too. There are a million reasons why boring bad jobs SHOULD exist. Alot of people will DIE without these jobs. Are you okay with that? Ok cool, go tell ur boss Bezzos that ill never buy another thing from Amazon ever again if this BS comes true. Trust me, ill have the money so it aint that. Also, also.. replace so many people with AI and robots and let's see who will use Amazon and online shopping lol. You gotta get money from somewhere. The top 100 people cant be the only ones buying and selling stuff. God knows if this tech exists, and it's affordable, even bars/supermarkets/restos will empty it! Even toilet cleaners will be out of jobs.

P.s. Just go to any local hospital, its full of people with disabilities that can ONLY do manual mind numbingly boring jobs that they hate. Cus its either that or them and their families starve. Some of them are fathers you know or moms. But yea, I welcome this cus it will make life fun again. Civil wars, protests everyday. Crime will go up too, nobody will stay hungry. Hungry and no money = fun combo. So yeah, enjoy the next 20 years. Even game devs are being replaced, highly educated people. Artists too. AI is coming for most jobs (duh?)

 

[jeffbert]

As I recall, the thing said 600,000 jobs would be new ones, not those already staffed by humans.

 

[monkeylove]

The catch is that customers are also employees.