I would have expected that any city or state willing to raise the minimum wage, would also ban the machine.

That is the best thing I have seen all day.+1

Hell, I thought some in Congress already were.

You have a valid point.Not sure how I would like to see the cleaning schedule on something like this, people are bad enough.

I think this is an onion like story. Those quotes are from the movie Office space. It probably will be true later just not yet. I didn't see anything about it in the Mc Donald's Corp website. I didn't see a reputable source. Check me please, I know Gulcher's aren't gullible.

well-back to the novel-whoa-on the not knowing when to quit-GHBs-here's the link: http://www.amazon.com/Symposium-Justice-...

you should also check out his blog of his same name. Rich Hoffman never stops. lol neither does kathyw. :)

that's cool. give us one treat from your learning, yes?

locked in voter base.

hiraghm, it's a spoof :)

I think our culture is still stuck in manufacture-ville. We are a first world, 1st tech country. Our citizens need to get that. You don't need to go to college to take advantage of the information tech age we are in-as a matter of fact, maybe put that off for a bit. BUt, I know, AJ, you and I disagree on this. I want to see more posts from you, if you have time, letting us in on your futurist visions. They are very important and help gulchers look outside boxes. LOVE this post-lol even though I was "Had"

Almost makes me want to eat at Mickey d's. The moochers wanted it now they got it. There will be more to come I hope. Tacos would be easy to make by robotics are you listening Taco Bell.

Why does no one talk about population control. Companies will continue to cut employees, leaving less jobs, so the answer is to have less people, since there will be no jobs for them. Why are people on welfare having so many kids and why does the govt allow it ?

Awwww. You're so sweet. (Imagery came across just fine.)

Jan

Just like in Atlas Shrugged. I called in to a local
talk show in Richmond, Va., and the screener
took my comment, but wouldn't put me on the
air; he never does. (Just once, he did).

As long as they are in ancillary roles I think we'll benefit from them. If they are placed in positions where judgments are made, we're in deep trouble.

Automated stores, like McD's, will add to the welfare rolls in the short term. Hopefully, this long overdue automation will cause young people to position themselves to take advantage of (capitalize on) the opportunities it presents.

Thanks for the plug. :)

Completely agree, and as I said, this was the in the head 5 second design. I could spend a career making improvements to safeties and failsafes... and yet somehow even with an occasional spectacular failure, it's probably still going to be cheaper than a room full of looters.

One way to make it safer, make it slow. The cargo transfer system could be geared to move 'at a snails pace' when absolutely maxed out. If it takes a full minute for a box to be lowered from the truck and it hits you, um, should have moved I guess... and at this pace, probably still faster than human cargo handlers in total, and doesn't mind working nights when the place is basically vacant.

nice story..sometimes it is hard to know when to quit...

huh. I like that

so, AJ, as a futurist through your novels, how do you see robots coming into our culture and in a good way and in a bad way?
I found "Shadows Live Under Seashells" to be eerily spot on. http://www.amazon.com/Shadows-Under-Seas...

ok. literally spit Topo Chico out of the mouth and some came out of the nose. ouch! :)

that's an interesting story, nick. In the novel, the teens working at the restaurant went through all normal kid angst and including work ethic issues. Some you have to teach, some it's just in them. I remember a kathywiso story, where her dad (an Objectivist) gave her some acres of land that she planted asparagus. Every waking minute she was not in school she was tending those fields. Finally her dad said-and he was a task master-Kathy-come out of those fields and enjoy life! lol

They are working on making cahierless lines for fast food, and they already have apps that allow you to place orders and pay and just pick up, but what you are going to see is a terminal that is turned to face the customer.and you are going to punch in your own order and pay, and the workers will fill the order, but getting rid of even one employee is good for profit and you see this at grocery stores, and Walmart, it is coming to fast food very soon, but no robots. I wish they could that.

There is an aspect not often mentioned, how many teens actually did have someone who influenced them early on in such a job. I had a couple from 12 on, I worked in a bakery from 12-15 (because no one else could hire due to "age") and the little guy running it paid me 1.75 an hour (1971-3), but he worked from 4am-6pm and expected you to as well. He did instill a good work ethic.

root, good job. Having seen the greatness of automated system ( I saved a guy from having his head crushed by a robot delivering 25 wafers to a tool when the robots "people sensor" failed), and Intels pursuit of what they call a "lights out" fab (totally automated) the problem always remains one of the one failure that gums up the works. The system may work great for most of the time but the failures are sometimes spectacular, and expensive. I am not critiquing you design, it is just there is always some failure that will haunt you. Great for me, keeps me employed.

You are right on Shrug. Wet Nurse positions for all those ex-employees. Yech...