4 ms·

tl;dr: Robots make people perceive that their jobs are more insecure. Self-affirmation might fix it.

by pj_mukh 4y ago

JohnJamesRambo 4y ago
Like Jack Handey? I'm Good Enough, I'm Smart Enough, and Doggone It, Robots Can’t Replace Me!
- dec0dedab0de 4y ago
  Like Jack Handey? I'm Good Enough, I'm Smart Enough, and Doggone It, Robots Can’t Replace Me! You're thinking about Stuart Smalley, a character on SNL created and played by Al Franken. Jack Handey is an author who had some of his "deep thoughts" show up on SNL as text that was read. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stuart_Smalley https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stuart_Smalley https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Handey https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Handey
  - JohnJamesRambo 4y ago
    Oh goodness you are so right. No amount of affirmations will make me feel better about this.
throwawayoc22 4y ago
So here's a data point: I work for a company https://6river.com/ https://6river.com/ that makes warehouse robots - or co-bots as our founders call them - and the feedback we've gotten is the total opposite. Warehouse workers love our robots, we've had reports of workers leaving for higher paying jobs at other warehouse and returning specifically because our robots make the work so much easier. So I guess it depends on the work and the type of automation. I used a throwaway because I know my co-workers read HN!
- petra 4y ago
  I'm curious about something: Which warehousing niches(types/sizes of warehouses/companies) will automation get into, and which niches it won't ? And what will be the future jobs in a modern warehouse in 10 years ?
- SamoyedFurFluff 4y ago
  If this is true that would give a big opportunity for your company to release studies directly countering studies like the one you’re responding to. Is your company planning on doing so?
- PhasmaFelis 4y ago
  I also work for a warehouse automation company. (We make the integrating software, not the robots.) A few months ago, my team got an email from management saying that, thanks to our hard work, one of our clients had been able to lay off 40 people, roughly 50% of their staff. I was supposed to feel proud of myself for this.
  - welshwelsh 4y ago
    I'd feel proud about that. Whichever way you slice it, reducing work is good. Humans shouldn't waste their time doing stuff that robots or computers can do just as well.
    - sobkas 4y ago
      > I'd feel proud about that. Whichever way you slice it, reducing work is good. Humans shouldn't waste their time doing stuff that robots or computers can do just as well. Problem is not reducing work, problem is that people need work to get salary that can be used to buy food, water, healthcare, shelter and other things one needs to survive. And at this point of capitalism there isn't a lot of room for growth. How many phones I would need to eat per year to support both automatisation and increased employment?
    - PhasmaFelis 4y ago
      Freeing people from wage slavery is good. Creating opportunities for people to live fulfilling lives free of endless drudgery is good. Working towards a world where no one is forced to justify their existence through labor is good. In the world as it currently exists, though, taking away people's financial support and forcing them to scrabble for another or face destitution and homelessness accomplishes none of those things. I'm actually kind of insulted that you think I'd think otherwise.
wing-_-nuts 4y ago
>Self-affirmation might fix it. ...and by 'fix it' they mean, might make the workers more complacent until their jobs can be automated out of existence. I don't buy the idea that 'robots will take our jobs', but it will damn sure take some jobs, with that portion being higher every decade.
- deelowe 4y ago
  Right. The greater good argument isn't particularly comforting when you're the sacrificial lamb.
- dogman144 4y ago
  Ya the more this is said out loud, the better we can prep for whatever this part of the workforce can do next. It feels like we’re in a dangerous in between of applauding the technology and aggressively staying blind to the jobs it’s obviously coming for. End result is a lot of pissed off truckers and warehouse workers who were sold for years on robotics improving productivity (or robot dogs not showing up patrolling neighborhoods without a real cop), and were stupid enough to trust tech product leads about it. The tech improves productivity and might be intended as a ride-along in some cases, but the MBA at the user company will see it differently via labor costs.

tl;dr: Robots make people perceive that their jobs are more insecure. Self-affirmation might fix it.

JohnJamesRambo 4y ago

Like Jack Handey? I'm Good Enough, I'm Smart Enough, and Doggone It, Robots Can’t Replace Me!

dec0dedab0de 4y ago
Like Jack Handey? I'm Good Enough, I'm Smart Enough, and Doggone It, Robots Can’t Replace Me! You're thinking about Stuart Smalley, a character on SNL created and played by Al Franken. Jack Handey is an author who had some of his "deep thoughts" show up on SNL as text that was read. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stuart_Smalley https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stuart_Smalley https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Handey https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Handey
- JohnJamesRambo 4y ago
  Oh goodness you are so right. No amount of affirmations will make me feel better about this.

throwawayoc22 4y ago

So here's a data point: I work for a company https://6river.com/ https://6river.com/ that makes warehouse robots - or co-bots as our founders call them - and the feedback we've gotten is the total opposite. Warehouse workers love our robots, we've had reports of workers leaving for higher paying jobs at other warehouse and returning specifically because our robots make the work so much easier. So I guess it depends on the work and the type of automation. I used a throwaway because I know my co-workers read HN!

petra 4y ago
I'm curious about something: Which warehousing niches(types/sizes of warehouses/companies) will automation get into, and which niches it won't ? And what will be the future jobs in a modern warehouse in 10 years ?
SamoyedFurFluff 4y ago
If this is true that would give a big opportunity for your company to release studies directly countering studies like the one you’re responding to. Is your company planning on doing so?
PhasmaFelis 4y ago
I also work for a warehouse automation company. (We make the integrating software, not the robots.) A few months ago, my team got an email from management saying that, thanks to our hard work, one of our clients had been able to lay off 40 people, roughly 50% of their staff. I was supposed to feel proud of myself for this.
- welshwelsh 4y ago
  I'd feel proud about that. Whichever way you slice it, reducing work is good. Humans shouldn't waste their time doing stuff that robots or computers can do just as well.
  - sobkas 4y ago
    > I'd feel proud about that. Whichever way you slice it, reducing work is good. Humans shouldn't waste their time doing stuff that robots or computers can do just as well. Problem is not reducing work, problem is that people need work to get salary that can be used to buy food, water, healthcare, shelter and other things one needs to survive. And at this point of capitalism there isn't a lot of room for growth. How many phones I would need to eat per year to support both automatisation and increased employment?
  - PhasmaFelis 4y ago
    Freeing people from wage slavery is good. Creating opportunities for people to live fulfilling lives free of endless drudgery is good. Working towards a world where no one is forced to justify their existence through labor is good. In the world as it currently exists, though, taking away people's financial support and forcing them to scrabble for another or face destitution and homelessness accomplishes none of those things. I'm actually kind of insulted that you think I'd think otherwise.

wing-_-nuts 4y ago

>Self-affirmation might fix it. ...and by 'fix it' they mean, might make the workers more complacent until their jobs can be automated out of existence. I don't buy the idea that 'robots will take our jobs', but it will damn sure take some jobs, with that portion being higher every decade.

deelowe 4y ago
Right. The greater good argument isn't particularly comforting when you're the sacrificial lamb.
dogman144 4y ago
Ya the more this is said out loud, the better we can prep for whatever this part of the workforce can do next. It feels like we’re in a dangerous in between of applauding the technology and aggressively staying blind to the jobs it’s obviously coming for. End result is a lot of pissed off truckers and warehouse workers who were sold for years on robotics improving productivity (or robot dogs not showing up patrolling neighborhoods without a real cop), and were stupid enough to trust tech product leads about it. The tech improves productivity and might be intended as a ride-along in some cases, but the MBA at the user company will see it differently via labor costs.