Walmart is reportedly planning to roll out floor-cleaning, stock-replenishing robots to...

[Polycount]

In brief: Grocery stores throughout the US are starting to cut down on the need for human employees by implementing sophisticated auto-checkout systems, smart shopping carts, and now, actual robots into their stores. New reports claim that Walmart will soon use robots to automate some of the most time-consuming tasks that its employees perform.

While the retail giant isn't fully replacing its checkout lines as Amazon has done just yet, it will use robots to "clean floors, sort inventory," and rotate stock throughout its stores.

These tasks, though simple, do represent a fairly large portion of a given Walmart worker's day-to-day life. With potentially thousands of customers coming in and out of a single store every day, tasks like cleaning, inventory sorting, and stock replenishment are pretty close to full-time jobs by themselves.

At any rate, to start with, Walmart will be bringing these new robots to 1,500 locations throughout the US. Given that the retail chain is estimated to have about 4,700 stores in operation as of writing, that means about 31 percent of them will have robot helpers working alongside humans.

Naturally, reports like this always spark concerns about potential job losses. However, Walmart probably isn't planning any mass lay-offs anytime soon; the company will likely need time to test this technology and ensure it's worth the expense before it makes any widespread personnel changes.

Permalink to story.

https://www.techspot.com/news/79587-walmart-reportedly-planning-roll-out-fleet-robots-perform.html

 

[treetops]

Give em tasers I want to see some security robots already.

 

[psycros]

*SIGH*...well, here we go. When Wal-Mart starts to replace minimum wagers with robots you know things are going to get much worse before they get better (if they ever do).

 

[trparky]

*SIGH*...well, here we go. When Wal-Mart starts to replace minimum wagers with robots you know things are going to get much worse before they get better (if they ever do).

Pretty much this. American workers are screwed. Say goodbye to the lower and middle class of America, we're all destined become dirt poor. Unless of course things drastically change but I don't see that happening.

 

[seefizzle]

Walmart has also set up organizations to lobby local governments about how to deal with all of the people they're about to lay off. In many states Walmart is the biggest employer in the state. If Walmart replaces even 15 or 20 percent of it's labor force you're talking about tens of thousands of people suddenly without jobs. Walmart is pushing the change over to automated stores in favor of robots over people. It's only a matter of time before all industries do this.

Nobody thinks that robots can do their job. Nobody. Many of us are wrong.

 

[EClyde]

*SIGH*...well, here we go. When Wal-Mart starts to replace minimum wagers with robots you know things are going to get much worse before they get better (if they ever do).

Pretty much this. American workers are screwed. Say goodbye to the lower and middle class of America, we're all destined become dirt poor. Unless of course things drastically change but I don't see that happening.

The lower class is always under assault. The middle class is now too. It is not because of Wal-Mart. It's the government and all the rules and regulations. You don't need to teach a robot not to hate Jews or any other group. They don't get sick and lie. They don't steal. And they won't look up your mama's skirt

 

[treetops]

Yeah damn all those tractors for turning us into a 40 hour work week nation without child labor! Where are the good ol days when everyone worked form sun up to sun down 7 days a week in the sun? Let us not repeat the mistakes of the past. Who knows they might force 20 hour work weeks on us! With sick leave! Oh the horror.

By the way the middle class are those who make 200k-250k a year so that is probably not you. Or at least that's the definition of the middle class given by some guy who ran for president about 6 years ago.

 

[psycros]

Yeah damn all those tractors for turning us into a 40 hour work week nation without child labor! Where are the good ol days when everyone worked form sun up to sun down 7 days a week in the sun? Let us not repeat the mistakes of the past. Who knows they might force 20 hour work weeks on us! With sick leave! Oh the horror.

By the way the middle class are those who make 200k-250k a year so that is probably not you. Or at least that's the definition of the middle class given by some guy who ran for president about 6 years ago.

I honestly have no clue what you're trying to say but I'm reasonably sure it has nothing to do with this discussion.

 

[psycros]

The lower class is always under assault. The middle class is now too. It is not because of Wal-Mart. It's the government and all the rules and regulations. You don't need to reach a robot not to hate Jews or any other group. They don't get sick and lie. They don't steal. And they won't look up your mama's skirt

I think it has a lot more to do with "they don't have to be paid" than those other things. This is something that every First World nation needs to addressing right now, not a decade from now. If job elimination keeps accelerating while the birthrates among the most productive groups slowly decrease while the population also ages, well..you need only look at Japan for an idea of where its all heading. If you scale up Japan's social issues to America-size you're talking about a world-shaking societal collapse: it will make the Great Depression look like the Jimmy Carter years. And Japan has a much better work ethic than America.

 

[Lionvibez]

Yeah damn all those tractors for turning us into a 40 hour work week nation without child labor! Where are the good ol days when everyone worked form sun up to sun down 7 days a week in the sun? Let us not repeat the mistakes of the past. Who knows they might force 20 hour work weeks on us! With sick leave! Oh the horror.

By the way the middle class are those who make 200k-250k a year so that is probably not you. Or at least that's the definition of the middle class given by some guy who ran for president about 6 years ago.

I honestly have no clue what you're trying to say but I'm reasonably sure it has nothing to do with this discussion.

lol ya I have no idea what that rant is about. And Mitt Romney lives in fantasy land lol 200-250k middle class maybe in his world.

Read this more truth here than in that video.

https://www.investopedia.com/financial-edge/0912/which-income-class-are-you.aspx

Now back on topic not really surprised at most low level jobs will be replaced by machines.

 

[treetops]

With every leap in automation via the wheel, steam engine, windmills, combustible engine etc. Quality of life has only improved. Oh oh but this time it's different.. cause it's when I'm alive... My fears are somehow unique and my thought process is special. Even though the entire existence of the human race up until this point says otherwise.

 

[psycros]

lol ya I have no idea what that rant is about. And Mitt Romney lives in fantasy land lol 200-250k middle class maybe in his world.

Read this more truth here than in that video.

https://www.investopedia.com/financial-edge/0912/which-income-class-are-you.aspx

Now back on topic not really surprised at most low level jobs will be replaced by machines.

Romney was playing the same game that every politician does - trying to paint himself as just an average schmoe. At least Trump doesn't even try because he knows it would look like an SNL skit. Plus maybe by Romney's standards that IS "middle class", or rather the middle of the upper class because he doesn't associate with anyone of lesser means. Its funny but wealthy people don't consider themselves rich unless their clearing at least half a mil annually. In many areas of the country even that isn't thought of as rich.

Regarding the robot takeover, it depends on how difficult and dirty the work is. I don't think you'll see an artificial nursing home worker for quite a while yet (but if or when we do it'll be in Japan first). Now, I could totally see fast food restaurants turning into giant vending machines and in fact McDonald's has every intention of making that happen. Personally I think it will backfire on them because most people still prefer a human touch. You can't tell the kiosk, "Hey, my burger was made wrong", because of course the machine never acknowledges a mistake. I suppose they might still have a few employees to keep the place clean, deal with customer issues, fix the machines and keep people from stealing everything. That's assuming they don't eliminate dining rooms altogether.

 

[dogofwars]

The lower class is always under assault. The middle class is now too. It is not because of Wal-Mart. It's the government and all the rules and regulations. You don't need to reach a robot not to hate Jews or any other group. They don't get sick and lie. They don't steal. And they won't look up your mama's skirt

I think it has a lot more to do with "they don't have to be paid" than those other things. This is something that every First World nation needs to addressing right now, not a decade from now. If job elimination keeps accelerating while the birthrates among the most productive groups slowly decrease while the population also ages, well..you need only look at Japan for an idea of where its all heading. If you scale up Japan's social issues to America-size you're talking about a world-shaking societal collapse: it will make the Great Depression look like the Jimmy Carter years. And Japan has a much better work ethic than America.

On a plus side the companies will not be able to say if you don't give me a tax exemption I will lay off employee and go elsewhere that trick they use so often will not work anymore.

 

[Bubbajim]

With every leap in automation via the wheel, steam engine, windmills, combustible engine etc. Quality of life has only improved. Oh oh but this time it's different.. cause it's when I'm alive... My fears are somehow unique and my thought process is special. Even though the entire existence of the human race up until this point says otherwise.

The most recent of your list of inventions was the combustion engine, invented in the 1870s. There was about 1 billion people alive on the planet at that time, less than 1/7th of the number of people alive now. People who need money to provide for food and shelter, and who need purpose because without it humans become nihilistic, antisocial and destructive.

Alongside that, every invention you listed enabled humans to do more. AI and Robotics allow more to be produced, but by fewer humans, and those humans do less. It's a totally different situation.

Automation and AI will undoubtedly bring benefits, for sure, but to completely write-off the possibility of social costs is dangerous.

 

[Theinsanegamer]

With every leap in automation via the wheel, steam engine, windmills, combustible engine etc. Quality of life has only improved. Oh oh but this time it's different.. cause it's when I'm alive... My fears are somehow unique and my thought process is special. Even though the entire existence of the human race up until this point says otherwise.

Because that is a false equivalency.

In all the cases you listed, new efficiencies brought about new jobs. Things like steam engines, combustable engines, windmills, ece allowed us to enter the industrial revolution, creating more jobs and more wealth all around. Said jobs, most importantly, were capable of being done by the horse riders and farmers offset by said new tech. The increase in the supply of food and mass produced goods also made it easier for someone that doesnt own a farm to survive, which lead to a massive growth of cities.

With automation, we are dramatically reducing low and middle class jobs, and replacing them with a tiny number of service jobs that require specialized training. There is nowhere for those low and middle class people to go. Sure, some will become technicians, but the majority will be competing for a shrinking number of jobs. These people will not have work. They will be idle, and they will be pissed, with nothing to loose. To say a huge class of people with no money and no job prospects will not cause massive social issues is hilariously short sighted.

 

[Uncle Al]

Just another good reason to black list Walmart from my shopping sources. Displacement of hard working people with automation that, in the long run, will end up costing them more money than saved. I predict there will be a more serious backlash than is expected ..... oh if Sam were only alive today!

 

[Danster1616]

Well this won't help when people put stuff back in wrong locations. I know I do that all the time because I don't want to walk all the way through the store. You know Little kids won't put stuff back properly. I mean look at this: http://www.retailhellunderground.com/.a/6a00e54f10a098883401310ffb306b970c-600wi Lets see a robot clean this up lol

 

[EClyde]

Yeah damn all those tractors for turning us into a 40 hour work week nation without child labor! Where are the good ol days when everyone worked form sun up to sun down 7 days a week in the sun? Let us not repeat the mistakes of the past. Who knows they might force 20 hour work weeks on us! With sick leave! Oh the horror.

By the way the middle class are those who make 200k-250k a year so that is probably not you. Or at least that's the definition of the middle class given by some guy who ran for president about 6 years ago.

Romney epitomizes a BAD Republican. He is a Democrat

 

[EClyde]

I think it has a lot more to do with "they don't have to be paid" than those other things. This is something that every First World nation needs to addressing right now, not a decade from now. If job elimination keeps accelerating while the birthrates among the most productive groups slowly decrease while the population also ages, well..you need only look at Japan for an idea of where its all heading. If you scale up Japan's social issues to America-size you're talking about a world-shaking societal collapse: it will make the Great Depression look like the Jimmy Carter years. And Japan has a much better work ethic than America.

Japan is not the US. What works or fails in Sweden doesn't correlate with a country like the US. Japan is not worth comparing. I am all for saving money as I am sure you are. An obligation only means something once two parties agree. Wal-Mart has no obligation to people not hired. If they let people go? Well ya can't expect anything in perpetuity. Just ask K-Mart

 

[wiyosaya]

The most recent of your list of inventions was the combustion engine, invented in the 1870s. There was about 1 billion people alive on the planet at that time, less than 1/7th of the number of people alive now. People who need money to provide for food and shelter, and who need purpose because without it humans become nihilistic, antisocial and destructive.

Alongside that, every invention you listed enabled humans to do more. AI and Robotics allow more to be produced, but by fewer humans, and those humans do less. It's a totally different situation.

Automation and AI will undoubtedly bring benefits, for sure, but to completely write-off the possibility of social costs is dangerous.

I think you are spot on with this comment, especially with what I converted to bold-faced type.

And, for me, it goes deeper than that because in most modern-day societies, money makes you worth something as a human being. Not only that, but money is needed to survive.

"Modern" society has placed the value of humanity in its currency - which itself is meaningless fiat. Human beings have no value if they have no money. As I see it, it is a vicious circle - no money, no purpose; no purpose, no money.

Perhaps the only cultures in the modern world that escape this to a certain extent are subsistence cultures - those that still hunt and gather for their subsistence.

As I see it, if the basis for the "modern" economic system does not change, things will get much worse especially given the collection of wealth piling up at the top.

I do think technology is a good thing. And one good thing that I see that may come out of this is that no one will be able to blame other humans that are seeking to make their lives better for work taken by robots and AI. To me, there will be only one thing that can be blamed for the work taken by robots and AI - greed.