Here's The Burger-Flipping Robot That Could Put Fast-Food Workers Out Of A Job

Another example of automation taking away people's jobs.

All that's left are the 'McJobs'. What happens when those are gone too. Won't be able to afford many of those burgers made by robots...

~Tenth

Just read this morning that most burger joint sales are down for the last 3 quarters. 15$ an hour would mean less people in the door because the employees could buy better meals at other places.

originally posted by: tothetenthpower
Another example of automation taking away people's jobs.

All that's left are the 'McJobs'. What happens when those are gone too. Won't be able to afford many of those burgers made by robots...

~Tenth

Robots will eventually be able to do almost all jobs done by humans. And, it will come much much faster than any of us can imagine.

It started a long time ago with the industrial revolution and has greatly accelerated as technology has accelerated.

Eventually, the only jobs left will be caring for the robots, and there will come a time when robots will be able to care for and instruct themselves on what to do and when to do it.

Then the only jobs left will be for people who can supervise robots and look out for glitches in programming that need fixing.

Glad my daughter married a software engineer!

a reply to: xuenchen




You can see those fat cats are making huge money on their investment.

a reply to: grandmakdw

Iam glad I work looking after people...no robot can do that.

originally posted by: MarlinGrace
a reply to: xuenchen

You can see those fat cats are making huge money on their investment.

You made a good point by showing the low profit margins of the "fat cat" franchise owners!

They will certainly raise their profit margin by replacing humans with robots who will work 24/7, not complain, and have a much lower mistake rate than humans.

What will the "fat cats" choose? Hmmmmmm, more $ to very unreliable humans, or a large outlay on a robot that in the long term will be much cheaper and much more reliable? These jobs are not welfare, they are jobs, and McJobs are jobs that even the least able among us can do, so how much better will a robot be?

If I were a franchise owner, I'd invest in the robots and have far far fewer issues and not have to deal with McJob worker ethics and reliability.

a reply to: tothetenthpower

We create machines to make life easier...I wonder how many people would be out of business if we cured the common cold or cancer....(obviously going out on a limb) but if I'm an inventor I have the right to market my machines to whoever is interested in purchasing them...

I'm sure there will be a lot of people who look for the old fashion burger joint...

originally posted by: chrismarco
a reply to: tothetenthpower

We create machines to make life easier...I wonder how many people would be out of business if we cured the common cold or cancer....(obviously going out on a limb) but if I'm an inventor I have the right to market my machines to whoever is interested in purchasing them...

I'm sure there will be a lot of people who look for the old fashion burger joint...

There will be some people who insist on having a burger made by hand, and they will be very expensive, designer "joints",

but I'd rather be sure I don't find a long hair in my food!

and I'd rather be sure that who/whatever made my food didn't have fecal matter on their hands/tools, or wasn't sick with a virus or the flu but "had" to go to work and sneeze all over my food.

I would love to invite you over to France....

You would have a hay day!

Kindest respects

Rodinus

a reply to: grandmakdw

a reply to: neoholographic

Thank the gods. If we can automate enough things, maybe eventually humankind can mutually own the revenues of corporations and none of us will have to toil away our lives anymore. The curse placed on us by the tyrant of the ages will officially be broken.

originally posted by: Painterz
This is going to be a serious problem over the next 10-50 years, increasingly workers jobs will be replaced with robots.

And where are the low-skill jobs going to come from to replace those?

They have been replacing people with machines for the past 50 years. You just don't notice because you always assumed these things were here:

automatic telephone exchanges replaced switchboard operators
automatic weaving looms replaced artisans
automatic lathes replaced metalworkers
digital printing replaced printworkers, typesetters and strippers
telex and telephone systems replaced telegram delivery
automatic elevators replaced lift operators
automatic warehouses replaced manual workers
just-in-time warehousing and supermarkets replaced local butchers, fishmongers, bakers and other shops

The ones I feel sorry for are the high school kids who used to flip the burgers and get those valuable early job skills. Of course, the people you see striking for the $15 bucks an hour (more than I make, and my job takes way more skill than theirs) because they've decided that flipping burgers should constitute a career have long ago put the high school kids out of work.

And I'm not talking about the ones who have no choice in this economy. They are likely at work today, not picketing, because they have the expectation of moving on to better jobs, not flipping burgers for their career.

a reply to: MarlinGrace

I'd like to know what "others" constitutes in their chart. 25% of total operating costs going into other areas other than whats listed is exorbitant. Also, a 26% labour cost is high for a fast food restaurant. Not unimaginable high but it is an inflated cost, by maybe 3-5%.

Still, that others must cover some interesting things if it hits at 24% of revenue. The graph is right on in 2 aspects though. Labour and food/product costs are the majority of expenditures in any restaurant, not just fast food and that the average profit margin for a restaurant, again not just fast food, is about 3-5%.

If a place is managed well with good staff, that number can go up to maybe 10-15% at most.

originally posted by: Rodinus
I would love to invite you over to France....

You would have a hay day!

Kindest respects

Rodinus

a reply to: grandmakdw

Been to France, many times, lived less than 45 minutes away for 3 years.

Are you referring to untidy hair and cigs hanging from the lips?

LOL

a reply to: grandmakdw


You are absolutely right, when I was building, maintaining, and fabricating washes and wash equipment that was the first question by almost all wash owners. "Can I get rid of employees with this?" Why do people think they have self checkout, and ATM's at the banks? To hire more people?

Not always but usually labor is the highest of all cost, if you can get a piece of equipment to replace 2 wash employes making minimum it's costing the owner 50K a year for the two, and most will accept a ROI in two years thats a 100K piece of equipment just to replace a couple of people. One of the things most overeducated minimum workers fail to realize is the employer matches SSI and pays workers comp insurance, and now if you have what is it 50 employees it's ObamaCare cost. No wonder car wash owners are building self serve car washes with a guy to open and a cashier, some are totally automated no employees, just ATM's and you are on your own.

Fast food employees just like wash employees are just going to shoot themselves in the foot as well, then the government can send them a check as well. Not only have minimum employees lost their minds but the are second inline behind the current administration. Who do the fast food people think eat their food? The rich fat cats? Hell no low and middle income people, the middle can make it work but the low income people will pay for their own raise.

originally posted by: GAOTU789
a reply to: MarlinGrace

I'd like to know what "others" constitutes in their chart. 25% of total operating costs going into other areas other than whats listed is exorbitant. Also, a 26% labour cost is high for a fast food restaurant. Not unimaginable high but it is an inflated cost, by maybe 3-5%.

Still, that others must cover some interesting things if it hits at 24% of revenue. The graph is right on in 2 aspects though. Labour and food/product costs are the majority of expenditures in any restaurant, not just fast food and that the average profit margin for a restaurant, again not just fast food, is about 3-5%.

If a place is managed well with good staff, that number can go up to maybe 10-15% at most.

I would suspect it is everything from workers comp, to matching SSI, liability ins, etc. local taxes, replacement equipment cost, franchise fees etc. It sounds like you have been there done that and wore the T-Shirt inside out, and I am sure you know there are still a boatload of expenses in ownership.

When the jobs dissappear, the killing, robbing, maiming, and overall Max Max Escape from NY will be in full force and then all that will be left is duking it out daily with roving gangs and the militarized police.

When the drug dealers aren't making any money, the economy is in the crapper. Now tech is specifically being used to eliminate workers. Okay, great. At some point the tech is going to design the tech, not people. Skynet, anyone?

Slippery slope.