Walmart turns to robots and apps in stores

Either one is inevitable im afraid, but probably the latter due to human nature...

 

I don't know if that is what they will demand, but they will certainly make demands.

We saw that in the rust belt in the last presidential election.

The idea that we can ignore today's workers is just not going to fly in the long run.

And, so far we're still ignoring the interests of workers - other than the executive branch policy of cussing out corporations that move due to free market economics and further gutting of collective bargaining.

 

It won't be that long before engineers can be replaced by robots. Every thing an engineer does is programmable, even walking job sites and making observations.

 

indeed, something has to give, and it'll most likely be the low skill laborers who have been utterly screwed out of any chance of a livelihood.

 

Just think. Very few people if any will pay taxes. The corporations will have to provide the government, which also will be using mostly robots, with the money to provide everyone a living. And with open borders, everyone will come for the free money and maximum leisure.

Total dystopia at last.

 

Yep just like an Orwell novel, what a blast right?

 

Welding corporations and the US government should be of special concern to ... well ... every last human being on the planet.

 

In Wisconsin which isn't exactly a heavily populated state so its not like the stores are filled with millions of customers. I routinely find unstocked shelves in the local Walmart and even in Woodman's which is my favorite grocery store. Part of the problem is that the area I work and live in is fairly wealthy so none of the teenagers want that kind of work since they don't really need the money. Every business pretty much starts at $12 and up around here and they still can't get enough help. If people aren't willing to work then by cheese send in the T-800s.

 

I have property in a small tourist trap town and know the feeling. I can't get anyone to do anything pretty much regardless of pay. Somehow the stores and restaurants keep staffed, but just try to get someone to fix a roof or rewire your dock.

There, they call it "island time".

"By cheese" - I like it!

 

Maybe true. We camped a couple of times north of the lake at Spring Valley, WI (Highland Ridge). Menomonie (pop. c. 15,000) about 15 miles east had as good a Walmart supercenter as any we've seen but it's the only one in the state we've seen besides La Crosse. That's really beautiful country, the River Road (WI 35) is phenomenal, Pepin a jewel. Every small town in Wisconsin -- my wife says we gotta move there.

 

When it comes to automation, money is the bottom line. We do have some awesome new technology but unless it is cost effective businesses will not use it. Here is a robot bar. I wonder if it is cost effective or just there as a novelty:

 

Pass. Especially if an Atlas robot is the bouncer.

 

So, you think the rate of automation today is high enough to actually depress the employment market?

That would be scary.

And, I do believe that the greatest stagnation is happening at the lower end of the pay scale - where automation might possibly have more of an effect.

 

Taxes are a bit high compared to other states but if you shop around you can find an area with low property taxes. Also, it snows........sometimes a lot. Don't get me wrong I like the state for what it is but my two favorite states are Washington and Colorado because once you have camped in the Rockies or the Great Northwest woods its hard to camp anywhere else. You have to the Dells or the flowage to find interesting topography here. I guess its a case of the grass is greener on the other side syndrome.

 

Last night on "60 Minutes", during a segment on Elon Musk, it was showcased that he had backed away quite a lot from using robots on one of his assembly lines (which had been almost totally automated) because they made too many mistakes and were too unreliable.

So, maybe it's true now (as it has been for decades) that people should try to pursue careers that require more from their MINDS, and perhaps less purely physical motions. A person can always "take the path of least resistance", but the remuneration and rewards will be among the least also....

Why do people pursue higher education in a university environment? Why do they make themselves try harder, and to learn more and more? If not in order to rise, excel, and prosper then why do it at all? Just to be a 'bottom-feeder' and end up on welfare? Few people think like that except for clueless, aimless Liberal Arts majors, who sit around and complain about robots taking over everything....