Let me just jump straight to my point before I really get started: if y’all don’t think that automation is an issue, then you have another thing coming... most likely unemployment.
I came across the above article in my social media timeline, and this is a burger place somewhere in Europe but that’s not the only place that’s testing this. There’s a place in California doing it as well and that robot makes 150 burgers per hour. Hear me when I tell you: automation is coming whether you want to acknowledge it or not. We can
pretend that it’s immigrants taking all the jobs from Americans, when in actuality,
Mexicans aren’t the problem. Now, you may be of the mind that ”people have too many dietary needs for this to work en mass.” or “You have to sanitize after every special order due to allergies”, I remind you that the menu is programmed to take whatever order you put into it. The same buttons the cashier uses to take your order can be programmed directly into the robot, eliminating the need for a middleman.
As far as sanitation goes, we have robots able to jump over things, do you really believe that a robot can’t be programmed to wash its hands? Really? We’re not that oblivious. What pisses me off about communicating with people over the internet, is that they forget that Google is a thing. You can easily look up information about literally anything. Like this year, Boeing is testing automatic planes, not only that, Amazon has been working on a fleet of self-driving trucks for years!
So the question then becomes: in 15 years, when A.I. is already a thing because we know it’s coming, what does the job landscape look like for Americans? Because If you are making below $40K a year, the next 15 years ain’t looking too good for you. As an I.T. professional, let me just say that automation is here NOW replacing jobs. Meanwhile, the right and left bitch about immigration, Siri is coming through the back door with a sandpaper condom on, saying “fuck your feelings.” The sheer arrogance to think that what you do is so damn unique that you can’t be replaced. The BBC article was brought to my attention by a guy in Europe, who was a professional chef, he thinks that Automation would never catch on in Europe because we’ve never had fine cuisine...preparing food is procedural, just like a computer, and thus can be programmed. Your recipe? It can also learn and do it just as well as you... without mistakes!
In 15 years, what does the landscape look like for African Americans? Because we’re already at the bottom of the totem pole. If you are making $40K which is basically $19.23/ hr, which is the majority of African Americans, hear me: The worst part is that it’s a slow burn because people don’t notice it now...those not affected by it anyway. McDonald’s already has automated menus in store, at least two. What do you think will happen when they get the automated flippers? As a CEO, I could probably hire one guy for 30 restaurants to monitor the systems. The manager would basically be a regional I.T. specialist - who probably wouldn’t touch a machine all day because they wouldn’t break that often. That one job would replace how many people? And even they would only make $40K a year. I administrate a lot of these systems, I see it coming every day. It’s creeping up on the American public. At first, people are saying ‘Get yourself a real job’, or ‘Retrain to combat automation’, as if it’s easy to do that in this country. How hard is it to get higher education now? How many of these people graduated high school? And you want them to go back? And to learn a second language? That’s not going to work. Silicon Valley does not care about your feelings, they don’t care that they are replacing people, causing them to be unemployed.
So here’s what I would say that could possibly brace you for the impending doom of the economy: Invest. invest in the companies that will be replacing your jobs. Even if you don’t believe they’re coming for your jobs - which they are - invest in them anyway. That way if they don’t take away your job, you have a nice safety net and if they do, you’re not out on the street. They are coming. They’re coming to save a buck.
I feel guilty. A part of me feels guilty and a part of me is worried. I feel guilty because I brought three children into this world, and I don’t know what the fuck they’re gonna do in 15 years. I mean what are they going to do regarding picking a career, a job, or even opening a business? What are they going to do, when all the money is at the top? What’re they going to do to get themselves by while they gain experience when all the low-paying jobs are gone? It’s going to be a different world in 15 years and people don’t think it will ever happen...it’s already happening. I’m at the point now where I have to get my kids into technology and certify them myself. And I suggest we all start shifting in that direction. I.T. is the new blue-collar job. Our people are creative and I don’t know how we’re gonna thrive in an automative society, but we always find a way. Let’s just ensure we’re prepared for what’s coming either way.
That’s just reality...that’s just common fuckin’ sense.
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