Wendy's to install robotic kiosks across 6,000 restaurants

There's another issue that is going to feed into this, and that is that the industrialized world is approaching negative population growth. Japan is already there. And though people love to diss the Baby Boomer generation, they are already reaching actuarial life expectancy and it won't be too long until they're all dead. This will become quite obvious in the next ten years and in 20 years we will be in the midst of a major demographic shift. And as that happens there won't be enough people to fill the jobs that are already there. If productivity is to remain high, something is going to have to take over, and that something is robotics.

a reply to: Willtell

Funny thing, I've not disagreed with much of that. I just don't blame the "greedy elite" for it. Blame DC.

We CANNOT have free global trade plus the strongest environmental and labor protection laws plus robust wages. Those 3 are not possible to coexist in a world where stuff can be automated, or manufactured in the third world for pennies to the dollar.

We need to choose one of those as a platform we'll actually stand fully on, one we'll find a manageable compromise on, and one we will abandon completely. Otherwise, we're eating our own tails.

originally posted by: Discotech
a reply to: BatheInTheFountain

All this really highlights is how utterly flawed and close to collapse the capitalistic world we live in is.

The quicker we move away from capitalism and money and greed the quicker we can advance our species into more than just consuming, barbaric beings.

Star Trek had the most ideal vision of our future

Wow.

Liberals

You use the hand the Government to hike up wages, and CAPITALISTS react by automating, and you claim the "death of Capitalism", because business owners have no other choice.

America 2016

originally posted by: schuyler

Happy talk and nonsense. A business can only "serve the community" if it is successful.

Awww, someone is questioning your belief and you don't like it. Too bad! You realize that "serving the community" and being "successful" are not mutually exclusive, except I guess you don't, because you replied thinking you had it figured out.

That business owner has to make a living off the business, or he won't be in business. OF COURSE he'll say he's "serving the community" and I dare say that many successful businesses do give back. The biggest auto dealer in town, not a beloved business in most people's eyes, just built an entire library for the local community college after the old one's roof fell in. That owner is not working seven days a week simply to "provide jobs to residents." That's a happy effect if he is successful. Those are "living wage jobs" because a certified auto mechanic is worth it and the business, as a whole, is well-run. But that business owner does not owe anyone a job. he does not owe a "living wage job" to the high school student who comes in after school for a couple of hours and washes the cars.

Wait, what is this part even about? How does this in any way have to do with what I posted? Are you one of those, either or, can't integrate all too well kinda people? That sucks to be you! You might want to check out the first few posts I put in this thread.

There are people who are all about the monies, and people who are more about the community, with monies being second. This in no way negates that many people are genuinely putting the community first, in spite of what may be the majority operating under a corporation that has a legal directive to maximize profits for shareholders.

Just admit it, all of it exists at the same time.

originally posted by: kosmicjack
Before the debate rages too far...this is the inevitable outcome, regardless of the minimum wage. If I've said it once, I've said 1000 times on ATS - just as soon as the PTB can replace us with robots, they will.

Read a stat a month or so ago that basically said that 80% of the job that kids today will eventually work at, haven't even been thought of yet.

One of my instructors was always fond of this video
www.youtube.com...

Or if you would prefer the 2016 version
www.youtube.com...

Next time you see a business owner who is automating due to the impossibility of competing Government demands, punch them in the face, tell them it's their fault, and yell "This is why Capitalism needs to end!!"

originally posted by: pl3bscheese
a reply to: burdman30ott6

A return on their investment by what means? In what way are they investing. You know for some people, operating a business is about providing a service for their community, and not a mere means to maximize capital gains.

That's all well and good, and I don't believe the system is set up in a manner which makes serving the community impossible. That said, there are also those who manage to work within the legal confines and still become quite wealthy doing so while never "serving the community." I don't have a problem with that, you do. Opinions vary.

Wendy's already has bio-metric thumbprint scanners at their registers.

The employees use them to login/logout of the register. This identifies who was using which register at what time. If the cash drawer doesn't add up, it's easy to tell who was working that register.

Normally an employee ID number is used, but this way you can't just memorize someone else's ID and then steal from the drawer.

originally posted by: BatheInTheFountain
Next time you see a business owner who is automating due to the impossibility of competing Government demands, punch them in the face, tell them it's their fault, and yell "This is why Capitalism needs to end!!"

Better idea: Next time you see a ballot measure intending to raise the minimum wage, vote "NO." Also stop electing politicians whose attempts to "equalize wealth" almost inevitably does so by compressing the middle class downward by tapping them to pay the way for everyone below them.

Oh, and we've already discussed this here on ATS before btw...

Not sure if it's the same thing or not, I haven't closely compared both sources. I just remember bringing up the thumbprint scanner at Wendy's before.

originally posted by: burdman30ott6

That's all well and good, and I don't believe the system is set up in a manner which makes serving the community impossible. That said, there are also those who manage to work within the legal confines and still become quite wealthy doing so while never "serving the community." I don't have a problem with that, you do. Opinions vary.

This needs to be properly qualified without being an assumption of what I have a problem with. Allow me to clarify.

I have no problem with someone maximizing their profit, IF this goal does not overly impact the people negatively that it serves. It's not a matter of legality.

See, you keep using words like business and legality... it feels rather mafiosa to me. I keep waiting to hear, "it was just business".. and we know it's rarely good the things that precede those words.

originally posted by: burdman30ott6

originally posted by: BatheInTheFountain
Next time you see a business owner who is automating due to the impossibility of competing Government demands, punch them in the face, tell them it's their fault, and yell "This is why Capitalism needs to end!!"

Better idea: Next time you see a ballot measure intending to raise the minimum wage, vote "NO." Also stop electing politicians whose attempts to "equalize wealth" almost inevitably does so by compressing the middle class downward by tapping them to pay the way for everyone below them.

Correct +1

originally posted by: pl3bscheese

Awww, someone is questioning your belief and you don't like it. Too bad! You realize that "serving the community" and being "successful" are not mutually exclusive, except I guess you don't, because you replied thinking you had it figured out.

Wait, what is this part even about? How does this in any way have to do with what I posted? Are you one of those, either or, can't integrate all too well kinda people? That sucks to be you! You might want to check out the first few posts I put in this thread.

So your response is to call me names or insult my intelligence? How quaint. Too bad you can't deal with the issues. It doesn't really matter, though, because what I said is going to happen whether you like it or not and there's not much you can do about it but whine. Enjoy your robotic future. You helped bring it about.

a reply to: schuyler

I most certainly will enjoy it! Though it's unfortunate you couldn't see more to my words and address the valid points I brought up. Your call!

a reply to: pl3bscheese

OK, so this leads to the question, WHO IS WENDY'S IN BUSINESS TO SERVE?

If they are in business to serve their customers, you can't claim automation negatively impacts those they serve. If they're in business to provide jobs to people, then they're not a business at all, but a charity/NGO. Employers employ people at their will, and to mutually beneficial and agreeable terms. When the point is reached in which the terms presented by the employee (including those mandated by the government) are no longer to the satisfaction and benefit of the employer, they automate or otherwise divest themselves of the employee(s) that represent that burden.

a reply to: MystikMushroom

How do thumbprint scanners tie into automation machinery that replaces people?

Not getting the connection on this one.

originally posted by: burdman30ott6
a reply to: pl3bscheese

OK, so this leads to the question, WHO IS WENDY'S IN BUSINESS TO SERVE?

If they are in business to serve their customers, you can't claim automation negatively impacts those they serve. If they're in business to provide jobs to people, then they're not a business at all, but a charity/NGO. Employers employ people at their will, and to mutually beneficial and agreeable terms. When the point is reached in which the terms presented by the employee (including those mandated by the government) are no longer to the satisfaction and benefit of the employer, they automate or otherwise divest themselves of the employee(s) that represent that burden.

The person you're directing that comment may disagree with me, but I would say they're in business to serve the community with a product and themselves with a profit.

If they can't apply their labor for a profit, then there's no reason to to supply it in the first place.

If they aren't benefiting the community, then there's no reason society should allow them to do what they're doing.

A respectable business does both.

I don't see it as the duty of a business to provide jobs, in theory we could have a society where every single person was self employed. The economy wouldn't be providing jobs to anyone in an employer/employee relationship but society would still be benefiting. The service the business provides though should be as good as possible, and automation helps with that. Proof of that is the fact that humans just aren't very good at repetitive tasks but machines excel at it, and a lot of customer facing labor is just simple repetitive tasks.

If a business can lower overhead creating more individual profit, while simultaneously improving their product then what's the problem?

originally posted by: burdman30ott6
a reply to: pl3bscheese

If they're in business to provide jobs to people, then they're not a business at all, but a charity/NGO.

You think that only charity/NGO can start a business with a main goal of providing jobs to people?

Employers employ people at their will, and to mutually beneficial and agreeable terms. When the point is reached in which the terms presented by the employee (including those mandated by the government) are no longer to the satisfaction and benefit of the employer, they automate or otherwise divest themselves of the employee(s) that represent that burden.

You know I do agree here, right?

Hey, I use all the tech we have available, and don't have any issue understanding, accepting, and keeping on to using self-checkout booth. I'm all for the advancements, but not if it leads to us losing our way as human beings... unless of course, we're cool with that and want to totally go all transhumanist and stuff (I'm mostly there!).

I just think it's terribly blind to hold to monies, or personal gain as the be all end all, just cause that's the system we're still happening to operate under for the time being. It's very short-sighted, and not at all in alignment with what doors the technology actually opens up. Sure, we can take this to it's extreme before seeing what the end result is, but don't you think it's best we realize that the tech actually allows us to provide for the rest instead of starve them out of the system?

Hey, it's our call, and you can stick to your beliefs, but most of the younger crowd knows better, they're adapted to this terrain and see the foolishness that would be pure self-interest. Networking and seeing us all interconnected in a sea of ever-expanding information is the way towards a better world.

Ah well, whatever. Older minds are difficult to change, and I'm barely even a millennial so see it both ways.

This is the beginning of the end.

Not for jobs and automation.

But for everyone.

Soon, protests will start, a hatred towards profit has already been in play.

Lenin would be so proud.

If you're going to have these $15/Hour hikes, they also had better get a hold on Immigration laws, E-Verify, or fines. Because if a biz owner can't automate a certain position, he's NOT going to pay $15 for an American Worker to flip burgers or fold shirts.