Author: automata

Fast-Food Leaders Play Down Minimum Wage During Automation Tests

Fast-Food Leaders Play Down Minimum Wage During Automation Tests

McDonald’s automated kiosk (REUTERS/Rick Wilking) McDonald’s and Wendy’s are denying a move to test self-service kiosks is connected to a growing movement to raise the minimum wage.

Economists warned increasing the minimum wage is likely to lead to less job opportunities for low-skilled workers. Fast-food and retail establishments have already started using computers and robots to replace low-skilled jobs. McDonald’s and Wendy’s are disputing Tuesday that self-serving computer tests are connected to the minimum wage push.

“An assumption that their use is related to wage or staffing levels is not the case at McDonald’s,” McDonald’s spokeswoman Lisa McComb said. “Staff perform […]

What will the world of work look like in 2066?

What will the world of work look like in 2066?

Credit: Getty Images MT at 50: From robot domination to self-led organisations, here are three scenarios of what our working lives could look like in 50 years’ time.

Looking back is much easier than looking forward – when Management Today published its first issue in 1966, Britain was debating decimalisation, the average weekly wage was £14 and workers were enjoying a ‘golden age’ of employment and easy-to-find jobs.

As our Future of Work special report has demonstrated, we’ve come a long way since then, but it’s safe to say that the changes over the next 50 years will be ever […]

Rise of the robots and a jobless future

Rise of the robots and a jobless future

BY MURRAY BECOTTE

SILICON Valley entrepreneur Martin Ford paints a frightening picture in his book Rise of the Robots: Technology and the Threat of a Jobless Future. Ford argues that artificial intelligence and robotics are causing a revolution that won’t be the same as the industrial revolution where as old jobs were eliminated and more were created with the new technology of the era. Ford believes that as technology continues to accelerate and machines begin taking care of themselves, fewer people will be necessary.

Computers can now work things out for themselves using trial and error to develop their own […]

The robots are coming, should we be worried?

The robots are coming, should we be worried?

In healthcare, AI could advance to the point where it could diagnose conditions and make decisions on treatment. Photo / Getty Images As the use of technology and robots continues to change the way people work, New Zealanders aren’t considering the possibility that their jobs might be impacted or taken over by this according to Massey University research.

The study, conducted by David Brougham from Massey University’s School of Management, showed 87.5 per cent of survey respondents disagreed or strongly disagreed with the statement ‘smart technology, artificial intelligence, robotics or algorithms could take my job’ – results that Brougham said […]

Things I didn’t know: Global economic thoughts from Ford’s ‘Rise of the Robots’

Things I didn’t know: Global economic thoughts from Ford’s ‘Rise of the Robots’

Here are some things I learned from Martin Ford’s fascinating book, Rise of the Robots .

— Jobs that go overseas tend to come back, but in automated form. Thus the U.S. textile industry rebounded between 2009 and 2012, with exports rising 37 percent. “The turnaround by automation technology is so efficient that it is competitive with even the lowest-wage offshore workers.” The problem is when the jobs come back, they are filled by robots , so productivity increases, but not employment. Play Video

PlayLoaded: 0%Progress: 0%Remaining Time -0:00This is a modal window.Foreground — White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta […]

Kiwi workers don’t fear ‘robot redundancy’

Kiwi workers don't fear 'robot redundancy'

"Often jobs actually consist of a set of repetitive actions that can be codified and done by a robot. This applies to many jobs currently considered high skill, like accountants, lawyers and researchers." It’s a much-discussed topic among 21st century humans: will I lose my job to a robot?

Despite countless stories in the media about the threat of "robot redundancy", a new survey has found most Kiwis don’t see machines as a workplace worry.

The Massey University study found 87.5 per cent of respondents either disagreed or strongly disagreed with the statement "smart technology, artificial intelligence, robotics or algorithms could […]

How robots will change the world

How robots will change the world

Artificial intelligence and robotic technologies could lead to mass unemployment. Our economy will need profound changes to avoid social unrest, says Simon Wilson. Will robots take over?

No – but they might steal your job. The rapid advances in artificial intelligence (AI), sensor development and other areas mean that robots are acquiring a range of skills – from diagnosing disease to driving cars to understanding natural language – that used to be the preserve of humans. That doesn’t mean that robots are about to become self-aware and take over, like Skynet in the Terminator films.

In real life, robots and […]

How About Some Real 21st Century Thinking?

How About Some Real 21st Century Thinking?

For several years now, I have thought it would benefit the nation to simplify our anti-poverty approach…even though there is currently a gradual reduction in the number of households living below the poverty line. I have thought it would be a more enlightened, practical, efficient and effective approach to guarantee everyone a certain minimum income.

Each legal adult resident might receive $20,000 per year and each minor $10,000. Or in many technical proposals of this nature, each would get a guaranteed after tax income of this nature if their own resources fell below a certain level. In my mind, the […]

Where have all the good jobs gone?

Where have all the good jobs gone?

The good jobs are disappearing. Those that predated the digital revolution are dropping away altogether or being replaced by low-paying service jobs and other less secure employment. These include part-time jobs, freelance contracting and gig opportunities. The number of Americans working under these arrangements rose by 9.4 million from 2005 to 2015; 48 million Americans are now in low paying jobs.

This growing job shift is transformational. For employers, it offers new efficiencies and greater flexibility. Workers are cheaper and fewer can demand benefits. Employers can staff-up as needed; workers take the risks.

Momentous technological advances exert a steady and downward […]

Human Games: Can We Beat the Bots?

Human Games: Can We Beat the Bots?

Artificial intelligence (AI) and automation are reshaping the workplace and the economy. Can humans successfully compete?

As the worldview envisioned by futurists and science fiction writers in the 1950’s and 60’s takes shape, a global economy still shaken by the Great Recession is riding the rails straight into what some call the “Second Machine Age” or “The Fourth Industrial Revolution.”

Second, fourth, however you count it—the real question is whether meaningful human employment is poised to come in last. Earlier , we discussed news on the future of work presented at the World Economic Forum (WEF) held in Davos, Switzerland in […]