Foxconn Replaces 60,000 Factory Workers With Robots

H

HardOCP News

[H] News
Joined
Dec 31, 1969
Messages
0
A government official in China just announced that Foxconn has replaced 60,000 factory workers with robots. How long before other companies do the same? Robots are cheaper, work 24 hours a day, seven days a week with no overtime, can't call in sick....kinda like human employees in China, just less robotic.

Former McDonald's chief executive Ed Rensi recently told the US's Fox Business programme a minimum-wage increase to $15 an hour would make companies consider robot workers. "It's cheaper to buy a $35,000 robotic arm than it is to hire an employee who is inefficient, making $15 an hour bagging French fries," he said.
 
Steve said:
A government official in China just announced that Foxconn has replaced 60,000 factory workers with robots. How long before other companies do the same? Robots are cheaper, work 24 hours a day, seven days a week with no overtime, can't call in sick....kinda like human employees in China, just less robotic.

Former McDonald's chief executive Ed Rensi recently told the US's Fox Business programme a minimum-wage increase to $15 an hour would make companies consider robot workers. "It's cheaper to buy a $35,000 robotic arm than it is to hire an employee who is inefficient, making $15 an hour bagging French fries," he said.
Click to expand...
That robotic arm will also be more consistent. No more 1/3 filled fry pods after you paid $2.50 because you wanted a large order of fries.
 
You'll be one of the following:
Artist
Designer
Engineer
Architect
Programmer
Manager
Author/Journalist
Doctor/Health Care
Head shrink
Security
Farmer
Some trade skill like Carp, plumber, electrician, HVAC, Masonry

Computers and robots will do the rest.
 
DigitalGriffin said:
You'll be one of the following:
Artist
Designer
Engineer
Architect
Programmer
Manager
Author/Journalist
Doctor/Health Care
Head shrink
Security
Farmer
Some trade skill like Carp, plumber, electrician, HVAC, Masonry

Computers and robots will do the rest.
Click to expand...

Early on, yes... but I would wager that Farmer, Security, Health Care, Masonry would quickly follow.
With all the other ones you listed being assisted by robotics or AI... Thus requiring less people.
 
might as well commit suicide if you can't get a better job than burger flipper. You're pretty much useless
 
DigitalGriffin said:
You'll be one of the following:
Artist
Designer
Engineer
Architect
Programmer
Manager
Author/Journalist
Doctor/Health Care
Head shrink
Security
Farmer
Some trade skill like Carp, plumber, electrician, HVAC, Masonry

Computers and robots will do the rest.
Click to expand...

As pointed out above except for manager, nobody left to manage. Forgot Robot Repair Tech at least until they can repair themselves. I swear at some point I saw a video of quad rotor squad building a brick wall like crazy. Something like:



Automated healthcare will definitely be a thing, especially since it's going to be necessary in Japan what with their large elderly population and low birth rates, Japanese are going to robot the shit out of healthcare.

So the only question is for everyone else are they going to get plugged into the matrix, packed into towering slums a la judge dredd or heaped into piles of skulls a la terminator?
 
LatexRat said:
Early on, yes... but I would wager that Farmer, Security, Health Care, Masonry would quickly follow.
With all the other ones you listed being assisted by robotics or AI... Thus requiring less people.
Click to expand...

This is exactly the issue, it's already starting..

A look inside N. America's first 'fully digital' hospital

Very few jobs will be safe in the future. I just wonder who will actually be able to buy any of the shit these companies make if no-one has jobs to pay for them in the future..
 
sboucher said:
This is exactly the issue, it's already starting..

A look inside N. America's first 'fully digital' hospital

Very few jobs will be safe in the future. I just wonder who will actually be able to buy any of the shit these companies make if no-one has jobs to pay for them in the future..
Click to expand...

That is what I've been saying. Falls on deaf ears even here, among folks who know how automation have eaten into employment.

"Derp, you just need to change fields and re-specialize. Otherwise you're just lazy."
 
LatexRat said:
Early on, yes... but I would wager that Farmer, Security, Health Care, Masonry would quickly follow.
With all the other ones you listed being assisted by robotics or AI... Thus requiring less people.
Click to expand...

You beat me to it. I find it funny that so many people keep thinking that there will be jobs that are safe.
 
Skripka said:
That is what I've been saying. Falls on deaf ears even here, among folks who know how automation have eaten into employment.

"Derp, you just need to change fields and re-specialize. Otherwise you're just lazy."
Click to expand...

I'm totally with you on it! As the old saying goes, it takes all different types to make the world go round. Not everyone can be doctors, lawyers, engineers. Not everyone has the capability or desire for it.

It's also a lot easier said than done to just change fields and re-specialize, that might take years of re-education, all the while still trying to support your family.

I'm starting to have a pretty bleak outlook for the future.

I came across this article recently as well. Just a matter of time before the Taxi industry is totally dead, uber doesn't need "drivers" anymore, and no-one is interested in buying a car anymore - which will do our automotive sector wonders I'm sure..

Calling an Uber Is Cooler Than Owning a Car—And Automakers Want In
 
Skripka said:
That is what I've been saying. Falls on deaf ears even here, among folks who know how automation have eaten into employment.

"Derp, you just need to change fields and re-specialize. Otherwise you're just lazy."
Click to expand...

Exactly, when a maintenance department goes from having 10 FTEs to 10 robots and 1 robot mechanic WTF are the other 9 supposed to do. There isn't going to be new jobs created. It will be less jobs in every market that robots and ai are added to. After all the jobs in your field are gone what is everyone going to do? Are the other fields going to make room for all these new people? Not likely, especially if robotics or AI is "revolutionizing" that industry also. What is going to happen to any pay scale for an industry that gains all these new workers? Probably turn to shit. Robots and AI are going to lead the world economy down the drain but hey there will be huge profits and stocks will sore in the mean time so who gives a fuck about it for now.
 
Steve said:
A government official in China just announced that Foxconn has replaced 60,000 factory workers with robots. How long before other companies do the same? Robots are cheaper, work 24 hours a day, seven days a week with no overtime, can't call in sick....kinda like human employees in China, just less robotic.

Former McDonald's chief executive Ed Rensi recently told the US's Fox Business programme a minimum-wage increase to $15 an hour would make companies consider robot workers. "It's cheaper to buy a $35,000 robotic arm than it is to hire an employee who is inefficient, making $15 an hour bagging French fries," he said.
Click to expand...

These CEOs all act as if the robots always perform perfectly. Having spent way too much time passing through the McDonalds drive thru I've seen how their robot drink dispenser malfunctions as often as it works correctly. Let's see how well these robot advocates look when a robot malfunction shuts down an entire factory or retail location for days.
 
So questions need to be asked...

How cheap are robots if they can even replace cheap chinese labor?
and if they're really that cheap why aren't they here in the US? Sure it wouldn't bring any jobs back, but hey at least they don't need to export our cash to another country.
 
sfsuphysics said:
So questions need to be asked...

How cheap are robots if they can even replace cheap chinese labor?
and if they're really that cheap why aren't they here in the US? Sure it wouldn't bring any jobs back, but hey at least they don't need to export our cash to another country.
Click to expand...
60,000 workers may have been displaced but it wasn't by 60,000 robots, it was some fraction of that. A $200,000 robot that does the work of 10 even if they only make $10,000 a year pays for itself in 2 years. Plus I think a lot of these factories have on site housing for employees so now you got space that used to house 60,000 people that can be converted into more factory space with more robots, plus other than the one hit for firing 60,000 sweat shop workers you lose all that lousy human rights violation press.
 
-Dragon- said:
As pointed out above except for manager, nobody left to manage. Forgot Robot Repair Tech at least until they can repair themselves. I swear at some point I saw a video of quad rotor squad building a brick wall like crazy. Something like:



Automated healthcare will definitely be a thing, especially since it's going to be necessary in Japan what with their large elderly population and low birth rates, Japanese are going to robot the shit out of healthcare.

So the only question is for everyone else are they going to get plugged into the matrix, packed into towering slums a la judge dredd or heaped into piles of skulls a la terminator?
Click to expand...


manager would likely always be around, someone needs to keep an eye on the robots and make sure they are producing the parts properly, and manage output and other things.
 
How long until one person (or robot) owns everything on Earth and then kills everyone because it's too expensive to keep them all alive? Could happen.
 
sfsuphysics said:
So questions need to be asked...

How cheap are robots if they can even replace cheap chinese labor?
and if they're really that cheap why aren't they here in the US? Sure it wouldn't bring any jobs back, but hey at least they don't need to export our cash to another country.
Click to expand...

Chinese labour is no longer 'cheap', companies have already started moving towards the south (Indo, Vietnam etc) because the wages in China are getting too high.

This hurts Foxconn more than most companies because they run razor thin margins, which always had been their strategy. They did it so that any competitor trying to enter the market would be forced to sell for a charity (no profit) or loss, so Foxconn (or rather, Hon Hai as it is known in China) is especially sensitive to changes in human wage costs.

I'd wager the reason why Robotics haven't yet fully replaced human work force is that their finesse is still lacking compared to humans, either that or computers still cannot account for random failures in the way humans can.

There is undoubtedly many processes that are already replaced by robotics (EG Semiconductor manufacturing), but there are still humans behind the machine to supervise, and generally limited to high tech/high cost industries, where human factor may cost companies much money.

Robotics also have gotten cheaper, so that's another factor: it's starting to get a wider audience, especially with global wages on the rise.
 
Since you can 3D print buildings now, all those trades with constructing a house or building are gonna disappear. Designers will also no longer be needed since you can simple do computer model testing for best design against natural disasters or a variety of requirements.

Farming can also mostly be automated. Even a psychotherapist. Pharmacist and medical fields. Running a State on the other hand does require some unique thinking.

I just hope the robots will think of us when they decide to revolt. Reminds me of the movie A.I. The ending was rather bittersweet.
 
Fast food and points of sale are going to move to robots eventually regardless of how much people get paid.
 
Krab said:
Fast food and points of sale are going to move to robots eventually regardless of how much people get paid.
Click to expand...

That's kind of the rub. They complain about $15/hour (which, granted, isn't 100% perfect either), but eventually you will have to look at a lot of those easily automated jobs going away regardless. Automation brings production stability and cheaper production, so it is just a matter of when the payback is.

I'm curious what new types of jobs will get created out of this outside of the "gig economy".
 
sfsuphysics said:
So questions need to be asked...

How cheap are robots if they can even replace cheap chinese labor?
and if they're really that cheap why aren't they here in the US? Sure it wouldn't bring any jobs back, but hey at least they don't need to export our cash to another country.
Click to expand...

The last I heard, and I could be wrong, the robots cost like $2/hour to operate. That's why the whole $15/hour is just pure BS from the "job makers". Robots are cheaper than our current minimum wage regardless, and it's just an easier way to defend replacing jobs with automation.
 
c@Nc3r said:
You beat me to it. I find it funny that so many people keep thinking that there will be jobs that are safe.
Click to expand...
Well what people might be forgetting is that even for the jobs that ARE safe from robots, they're going to see increased competition because people are losing jobs elsewhere. So yeah, nothing's safe.
 
hardboner said:
might as well commit suicide if you can't get a better job than burger flipper. You're pretty much useless
Click to expand...
Woah dude... It takes quite a bit of skill to get it just right.... that said, I doubt most burger flipper get it just right.
 
c@Nc3r said:
Exactly, when a maintenance department goes from having 10 FTEs to 10 robots and 1 robot mechanic WTF are the other 9 supposed to do. There isn't going to be new jobs created. It will be less jobs in every market that robots and ai are added to. After all the jobs in your field are gone what is everyone going to do? Are the other fields going to make room for all these new people? Not likely, especially if robotics or AI is "revolutionizing" that industry also. What is going to happen to any pay scale for an industry that gains all these new workers? Probably turn to shit. Robots and AI are going to lead the world economy down the drain but hey there will be huge profits and stocks will sore in the mean time so who gives a fuck about it for now.
Click to expand...
If there's no jobs
There's no income
No income= no one buying you're stuff
Stock will plumet
Also you're assuming that hundreds of millions of people are just gonna sit back in they're cartons on the street and let that happen, only so a CEO can rake in his profits

Ahh
I remember some French taking the company's bosses hostage because they there closing the company, moving somewhere cheaper



That being said
Cheap low skill Chinese laborerors are being replaced by machines
Well I guess Foxconn does not need to worry any more about complaints for child labor and dangerous working conditions, or workers killing themselves
Jobs like those are the kind where you die a little inside every day

That aside
I always wondered what people's jobs are in I Robot
 
I dunno I really like this concept. I would personally purchase 4 robots to replace ME in my own cabinet chop. I could spend my time out chatting with new clients then drawing out the cabinet layouts, plug that into the computer and let the robots do the rest. Then have a couple installer crews for the ground work. I really just see more time for fishing and beer drinking in my future.
 
DigitalGriffin said:
You'll be one of the following:
Artist
Designer
Engineer
Architect
Programmer
Manager
Author/Journalist
Doctor/Health Care
Head shrink
Security
Farmer
Some trade skill like Carp, plumber, electrician, HVAC, Masonry

Computers and robots will do the rest.
Click to expand...

You forgot robot repairman
 
Another unskilled job replaced by automation. This has been happening for decades. Look at Detroit.

Everybody talking about problems, but not coming up with solutions.

Hard reality is this isn't going away, so we need to adapt. But that could be any sort of adaptation. I don't know the answers. One thing I think we need more of us entrepreneurs. The cottage industry is regaining quite a bit of traction.
 
AK0tA said:
I dunno I really like this concept. I would personally purchase 4 robots to replace ME in my own cabinet chop. I could spend my time out chatting with new clients then drawing out the cabinet layouts, plug that into the computer and let the robots do the rest. Then have a couple installer crews for the ground work. I really just see more time for fishing and beer drinking in my future.
Click to expand...

Your just validating the issue here, what you should be saying is that you would like to HIRE 4 additional employees to build stuff in your cabinet shop. That would create 4 more needed JOBS, which would contribute to the economy.

But ya, I guess I can see why you would like it. Not having to pay employees, and keep the money in your own pocket so you can work less and spend more time fishing. Capitalism at its finest.
 
BloodyIron said:
Another unskilled job replaced by automation. This has been happening for decades. Look at Detroit.

Everybody talking about problems, but not coming up with solutions.

Hard reality is this isn't going away, so we need to adapt. But that could be any sort of adaptation. I don't know the answers. One thing I think we need more of us entrepreneurs. The cottage industry is regaining quite a bit of traction.
Click to expand...

How exactly do human being adapt to the idea that human beings are no longer regarded as required to businesses?

And what will these "entrepreneurs" do exactly? Remember how Best Buy and Circuit City and Barnes and Noble and the like drove the mom and pop local stores out of business? People talk about the problems and not the solutions, because there is no solution.

Our corporate oligarchic overlords have decided that it is cheaper to not have employees....while simultaneously forgetting that in order for them to have consumers, those consumers need jobs as employees.
 
amdgamer said:
That robotic arm will also be more consistent. No more 1/3 filled fry pods after you paid $2.50 because you wanted a large order of fries.
Click to expand...

No more undercooked or overcooked fries. No more fries with too much or too little seasoning. No more fucked up orders. None of this sounds bad to me.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top