Posted on 10/14/2016 12:43:23 AM PDT by Swordmaker
Edited on 10/14/2016 6:07:03 AM PDT by Admin Moderator. [history]
Just like Americans won't pick strawberries, lettuce, almonds and pistachios. Maybe the better solution is for China to import tens of millions of Mexicans and Middle Easterners to do the work the Chinese won't do.
Skynet
At the age of 69 I was hired for a consulting gig. Not a lot of hours, but I was paid $2k per day for a couple of days per month.
And, I was worth it.
Saving up for top of the line? A robotic Mac that looks like people is still far off in the future. Steve Jobs vision was of your data being in the cloud, accessible by multiple appliances via apps in the cloud. That robotic Mac will look more like a can-opener or microwave oven. We're probably headed towards Siri-controlled eyeglasses with heads-up displays. Siri will scream at you not to step off the curb into traffic while you're distracted by the display on top of reality in front of you.
Sci-fi authors have written lots of stories about robots becoming everywhere taking over jobs (my favorites were written in the 1950s). The upbeat stories predict it will create a renaissance where people are healthier, wealthier and free to enjoy many hobbies. The downer stories predict that smart robots will decide our politicians and leaders are incompetent idiots, and the robots will take over administration of humans. Maybe not such a bad thing when you see what we have now in our government, and worse with the likes of Hillary.
Sure if you happen to have an extremely important skill that is in short supply. Did they offer you a permanent job?
You need 54 gears to compete today...... : )
Well who wants a horde of robots hanging around anyway? I’ll be happy if I can stick a usb in my ear and be enabled to speak decent Chinese (and any other tongue).
That and a few nano devices to patrol my bod for foreign or defective entities. Keep the arteries clear. Juice up the neurons when necessary. See that my hair stays blonde. Where I want it. ;)
You got a point there. I get claustrophobic around huge crowds of people, which is why I'm content hanging around my home in my retirement. Last thing I want is a crowd in my house, especially a bunch of robots nagging me! ("Harcourt Fenton Mudd!" from screaming robot in Star Trek episodes.)
I knew that was the answer but thanks for not sugar coating it.
Maybe we should consider replacing politicians with robots.
Wow! Robots—in China! You don’t get much cheaper than that!
Not a chance. Do you have any idea how many women and teenage beauty pageant contestants robots sexually assault every year??? The Democrats could tell you!
“I wonder if this 53 gear old auto technician can retrain for this field.”
If you can fix things, you can learn to fix robotic machinery as well. Cars themselves have been becoming robots over time anyway - a sensor there, a computer here. Some are already on public streets driving themselves.
If you are enterprising, you can keep up with the new equipment as it comes out.
At some point though (10-20 years), robots will become the mechanics. So sock away a good piece of every paycheck into long term investments (like ETFs, real estate, or a side business).
Early on, while mechanic robots are more specialized, you could buy some robots and operate your own repair service. Eventually though, cars and robots themselves will likely be built to be serviced by general purpose robots, with a minimum of special tools - so anyone with a general purpose robot will be able to download the mechanic software and fix their own equipment.
Just like people with a smart phone download apps to make it replace another item (GPS, stopwatch, TV, radio, flashlight, etc.), owners of general purpose robots will be able to do all kinds of things with them. Once a machine has the general strength, dexterity, sensitivity and mobility of a person; the rest is just a software update. Then one household robot will be able to do many jobs - plumber, doctor, chef, dog walker, baby-sitter, landscaper, fruit picker, security guard - mostly anything people can do. That is when most of the old jobs will go away en masse.
So either save up enough while working as a mechanic, or start your own business (or a few businesses). Small business owners will be able to do a lot more with their robots as well. There is still time for you - probably for all of us.
No. I didn't want a permanent job, and none was offered.
I had been retired for several years, and didn't want more than an interesting way to spend a few days a month in a technical field.
Sure if you happen to have an extremely important skill that is in short supply.
My point exactly. If a 53 year old guy can get good at programming assembly robots he will have work. If he is just going to punch the clock and do an average job, younger guys will eat his lunch.
But he can't. Programmers are at their peak from 14 to 25.
At this point I wonder which I’m going to suit up to go join my guerrilla team to fight first: an oppressive federal government or a company making robots that’s about to put 80% of my family and friends out of a job permanently.
I never thought I would even consider being a Luddite but if the choice is fight or accept being downshifted to 3rd-world status for the rest of my life...
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