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> On the other hand, if the job truly is easily represented by some simple algorithm, why not teach a machine to do it cheaper and more consistently? Because i
by jcadam 9y ago
> On the other hand, if the job truly is easily represented by some simple algorithm, why not teach a machine to do it cheaper and more consistently?
Because in a country with a large population of poor people such as China, unskilled and semi-skilled (as in a typical factory job) labor has got to be dirt cheap, such that it makes sense to have humans performing trivial tasks that could be easily automated.
- fnordsensei 9y agoThere's a lot of variables surrounding employing humans that can make automation worthwhile even if pay is very low. The "maintenance" of people, such as hiring, managing, loss of production because of absence—those sort of things. I'm just speculating, I've no idea how they are reasoning. But I do suspect it's more cultural/personal rather than practical or to maximize productivity.