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Robot packers and AI cameras: UK retail embraces automation to cut staff costs (www.theguardian.com)

submitted 3 weeks ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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[–] [email protected] 11 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago) (2 children)

Of course they do. This was always the trajectory.

The idea of everyone being able to have a job is rapidly coming to an end.

The increased competition for the remaining work is going to drive wages and salaries down.

All of the wealth generated by the automation will end up hyper concentrated amongst the new aristocracy of capitalist conglomerate owners.

We need a new economic system yesterday if we have any hope of avoiding this particular flavour of dystopia

No UBI is not the solution, it's a last resort to be used to quell violent revolution when three quarters of people can't afford to exist.

And no, the luddite approach won't work here either, Pandora's box was opened long ago

[–] [email protected] 2 points 3 weeks ago

I agree with an this. But the other things to consider are that automation should make it easier to break into an industry. I worked for an upstart insurance company using automation to serve half a million customers with 6 core staff. With automation it's becoming easier for a few bright people to set up a competing service, not harder. At some point (and obvs it will probably be a bumpy ride) but at some point more competitive services should be available to both consumers and the government. That should make gov spending go further. Maybe that's miles away from the American mindset, but in UK / Europe people are looking for the point where automation allows certain basic services to be provided from the government for free (or at least covered by existing taxes). Which should lead to some standard of living improvements even if in other areas ghoulish megacorps still hoover up the power.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 3 weeks ago

But humans will still be able to live... Right?... Right?...