Will Automation replace jobs?
A couple of years ago we saw a device at a McDonald’s drive-thru. Imagine it was a little carousel with these little black cups and it goes around this little race track. It’s at the drive-through, so when someone orders a meal at the McDonald’s drive-through it goes into the computer and this system automatically drops a cup from a tube into a holder. From there it goes in front of this little drink dispenser, it automatically dispenses the ordered drink, and it rolls it out into the area where the worker puts it in place to hand to the customer. At the time we looked at it and said: it doesn’t automate the whole process. It does take away a very small slice of time that an employee would have to do. It it’s all done automatically. This one automation might save many hours worth of work. Makes it more efficient. We questioned whether or not this was going to lead to other automations within McDonald’s. Which could potentially cut jobs. Fast forward to today, two years later, and it seems like that prediction has come true.
According to an article that came out a couple days ago: “ December 24th, McDonald’s unveils first automated location. It will cut millions of jobs. Customers fully avoid interaction with any human beings during their order, and pick up all of the processes done using automation.” .
When you automate one little slice of a job, and then you have another machine that creates another job. For example, something that puts the ketchup on the fries. You end up with automation and jobs which are not necessarily that critical to have human interaction. The way of the dinosaur. It may cut millions of jobs according to this article.
What are your thoughts on this? Is this in your employment environment? Is automation in your business? Do you see this as a consumer being a good thing or a bad thing? if you’re a consumer is it good because maybe it’ll cut costs? Would it be easier to get service? In this day and age one of the reasons it’s hard to get service is because there’s no employees. Is it a bad thing because you or your friends/relatives might lose jobs? At what point does automation become helpful and efficient to then replace jobs. What does it hold for the future of culture and also Business Development?
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more on the article I read: