New Wave of Deft Robots Is Changing Global Industry: Are Robots Replacing Skilled Workers?

by Heisenberg Posted 2012/08/20 21:00:00

Related Topics: Robots, Jobs, Unemployment

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	Yes	241 votes	78%
	No	69 votes	22%

NYTIMES.COM reports:
A new wave of robots is replacing workers in both manufacturing and distribution.

nytimes reports wave robots replacing workers manufacturing distribution

+15

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Heisenberg 2012/08/20 08:38:40

Yes

+8
We live in scary times.
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El Prez to \V/ 2012/08/22 16:50:10

Money is damn near worthless now. I don't smoke any more so I can't oblige. I am for helping the workers, if that is 19th century then so be it. Have a nice 21st century.

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grace 2012/08/21 19:43:38

Yes

Well I admit that they may not be replacing skilled workers in the short run but if all of the easy jobs get replaced all those workers have to have somewhere to work and it doesn't take that many people to tend and fix a machine.

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Sperry23 2012/08/21 18:27:30

No

+1
Robots are replacing unskilled workers. While it does take talent and endurance to hit the same target repeatedly with a spot welder all day, 'bots do it better and don't take coffee breaks. Better the worker learns to repair those bots. Now that's a skill worth having.

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\V/ to Sperry23 2012/08/22 02:44:43

$\V/$

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starguide to Sperry23 2012/08/22 17:53:20

you are so right

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FanOreilly 2012/08/21 18:05:19

No

+3
Nothing beats a highly skilled worker.

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\V/ to FanOreilly 2012/08/22 02:24:58

$\V/$

In China.

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luigi1- in god we trust 2012/08/21 17:15:10

No

+1
No. Robots are replacing unskilled workers.

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Crypt_Heart 2012/08/21 17:03:05

No

+2
If you are a skilled worker, you cannot be replaced by a robot =P

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\V/ to Crypt_H... 2012/08/22 02:26:22

$\V/$

+1
How many skilled workers can solder a mother board in a few minuets?

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Crypt_H... to \V/ 2012/08/22 02:47:20

How big is this motherboard and has it been 'printed' first o.O If it has been 'printed', then I'd say quite a few. However it takes machines a fraction of the time, usually about 10 seconds per motherboard if that.

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\V/ to Crypt_H... 2012/08/22 02:53:00

$\V/$

+1
Exactly. A human would go blind and loose the muscles in their hands if they attempted it for very long.

That is if they dont totally loose their minds. Thats what robots are for, silly!

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Crypt_H... to \V/ 2012/08/22 02:55:33

+1
You would be surprised what humans can put up with doing for hours on end. (Foxconn)

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\V/ to Crypt_H... 2012/08/22 02:57:08
Crypt_H... to \V/ 2012/08/22 03:04:33

Only if you have Morals!

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\V/ to Crypt_H... 2012/08/22 04:21:04

$\V/$

Yeah, you can have yours, I have mine.

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Reichstolz 2012/08/21 16:58:09

No

+4
If you can be replaced by a machine, you don't have a "skill". You have a job that requires no skill, if easily replaced by robotics.

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TheBadOne 2012/08/21 16:43:44

No

+2
Workers need to evolve to develop the skill to work on said robots.

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\V/ to TheBadOne 2012/08/22 02:27:49

$\V/$

We have nano bots for that. We can even call your home and tell you that your political opponent already lost so no need to go to the polls and vote ;-)

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exhon2009 2012/08/21 16:22:25

Yes

+3
To some extent yes. However the smart skilled workers learn how to manufacture and maintain the robots.

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Tastentier 2012/08/21 16:03:04

Yes

Robots are mostly replacing unskilled labor as of yet, but that is about to change. And skilled labor has also been replaced by technology, namely computers and the internet. How many retail stores had to close thanks to e-commerze giants like Amazon?

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TKramar to Tastentier 2012/08/21 20:46:28

someone still pulls those orders. In fact, even Amazon relies on third party sellers to provide them with the product to sell to you.

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glen 2012/08/21 15:51:14

Yes

Yes at an alarming rate . If people aren't working how do they pay for the things that the robots are making ?

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\V/ to glen 2012/08/22 02:30:16

$\V/$

+1
Just wait till we get into the mid 21st century when survivors will figure out we can use free renewable Geothermal energy! Guess what? The robots will have no choice:

Go on strike
or
Work for free

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littleb... to \V/ 2012/08/22 02:42:27

+1
Nice thought but that not going to be the reality by then.

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Keith 2012/08/21 15:46:31

Yes

It's just the beginning, I imagine over the course of
The next 200-300 years robots will start to replace more and more simply because a robot works for free and doesn't need as many breaks.

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beavith1 to Keith 2012/08/21 21:59:03

it's not 'free'. its the choice between labor utilization or capital utilization. if you can get a higher ROI with a capital expenditure than hiring someone, the smart asset manager will buy that robot.

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\V/ to Keith 2012/08/22 02:44:09

$\V/$

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Platinum Fangs 2012/08/21 15:40:35

Yes

And good riddance too. Humans are too varied in skill and don't often make uniform products. Also machines don't need coffee and don't bitch about their bosses, their wives and their bills.

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Tastentier to Platinu... 2012/08/21 16:05:22 (edited)

The question is, how are humans going to earn money in order to buy products that are produced by machines and sold by computers? I also think that automation is a good thing, but when we reach a point where all manual labor is automated, we might have to rethink our economic system.

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Platinu... to Tastentier 2012/08/22 19:41:14

There are plenty of jobs, many that can't be replaced by machines. Doctors, veterinarians, farmers, construction, any job that needs perspective. Plenty of jobs and areas of high demand. Question is are people willing to take such jobs or are they going to be picky?

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V~POTL~PWCM~JLA 2012/08/21 15:40:29

No

+2
Very few robots are replacing skilled labor. In general, this is good for US manufacturing. Unskilled labor is a lost cause. It costs too much in taxes to employ such people in the US, so those jobs go offshore to be done by cheap, unskilled humans. Robots require skilled humans for design, installation, maintenance, etc.

The weaknesses of robotic technology are in processing sensory data. Accelerometers give robots a good sense of balance and motion, but vision, hearing, taste, and touch are not easy to automate. It's one thing to hook up a video camera to a robot, something else again for a computer to process an image, decide what it means, and what to do about it.

Things will get very scary when some genius finds a way to genetically engineer living human-like creatures with limited brain function. Without the capacity to speak or write, they can be treated more or less like farm animals. Computers will "assist" the creatures in performing their tasks by detecting their thought patterns and sending signals to move muscles. All of the sensory perception problems will be solved. We will give them just enough brain function to do the jobs that have resisted robotic automation -- but not enough for the creatures to complain or assert their "rights" as a synthetic...

Very few robots are replacing skilled labor. In general, this is good for US manufacturing. Unskilled labor is a lost cause. It costs too much in taxes to employ such people in the US, so those jobs go offshore to be done by cheap, unskilled humans. Robots require skilled humans for design, installation, maintenance, etc.

The weaknesses of robotic technology are in processing sensory data. Accelerometers give robots a good sense of balance and motion, but vision, hearing, taste, and touch are not easy to automate. It's one thing to hook up a video camera to a robot, something else again for a computer to process an image, decide what it means, and what to do about it.

Things will get very scary when some genius finds a way to genetically engineer living human-like creatures with limited brain function. Without the capacity to speak or write, they can be treated more or less like farm animals. Computers will "assist" the creatures in performing their tasks by detecting their thought patterns and sending signals to move muscles. All of the sensory perception problems will be solved. We will give them just enough brain function to do the jobs that have resisted robotic automation -- but not enough for the creatures to complain or assert their "rights" as a synthetic life form. Even better, the creatures will derive their energy by eating food byproducts (e.g. pink slime). If you think the current generation of robots is scary, wait until you see the iSlaves!
(more)

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\V/ to V~POTL~... 2012/08/22 02:32:15

$\V/$

There are robots right now that are so human it will blow your mind.

More human than... Putin for instance, or Romney! Or Oblabla!

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Steve 2012/08/21 15:39:44

Yes

+1
They do replace people. It is one way that US companies have used to stay competitive, but at the expense of some jobs. Our company is small and uses a robot for Mig welding. The cell still requires two people to load, unload and inspect. So even though we use one, it is still on a limited basis.

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Different 2012/08/21 15:02:18

Yes

+1
Maybe this is another reason people don't have jobs.

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santa6642 2012/08/21 14:33:50

Yes

And they are what use to be union jobs.

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Skar 2012/08/21 14:21:53

Yes

They have been for decades and will continue to do so

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TasselLady 2012/08/21 14:20:50

Yes

+1
Just wait until they take over the world.

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\V/ to TasselLady 2012/08/22 02:33:21

$\V/$

I prefer them to the Republicans. At least robots can think.

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TasselLady to \V/ 2012/08/22 13:11:56

And then Republicans also have no feelings. Therefore all of the Robots will feel nothing for those who are in need and can't afford good healthcare. That's where we would be headed. The Robots would be programmed to be all for the rich and the well off and big business. How convenient.

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