Authoritarianism on the rise?

[Whateverist]

Definitely!

[The Grand Nudger]

And the bloody neo-liberal policies that produce unemployment and poor living conditions (at least in southern Europe it is)

Don't you know that unemployment rates will increase around the world and in all segments of society?  All kinds of jobs will be automated and out-sourced to robots.  For instance, a Japanese country has automated a farm to grow 30,000 heads of lettuce a day without any human involvement.  The good  news is that lettuce will be cheap but the bad news is that only a handful of people will make any money off of it.  So who's going to buy consumer goods and services?  The world's economy will collapse and there will be a global revolution.

Um........that lettuce isn't cheap at all.  You don't go vertical hydro low pesticide if you plan on selling it cheap. This group plans to seize a -very- lucrative market.  The system helps them do -that-...it doesn't help them grow lettuce cheaply. If there's going to be a global meltdown it isn't on account of this. If this is what cheap lettuce looks like, then field labor is safe for the forseable future.

(I deeply and truly wish it were otherwise, btw. You know, if a global economic meltdown included the scenario in which food was so cheap no one could be bothered to pay a dime worth anything to another person for it.....that would have to be an argument -in favor- of meltdown. A pleasant unintended side effect.)

[Wyrd of Gawd]

Don't you know that unemployment rates will increase around the world and in all segments of society?  All kinds of jobs will be automated and out-sourced to robots.  For instance, a Japanese country has automated a farm to grow 30,000 heads of lettuce a day without any human involvement.  The good  news is that lettuce will be cheap but the bad news is that only a handful of people will make any money off of it.  So who's going to buy consumer goods and services?  The world's economy will collapse and there will be a global revolution.

Um........that lettuce isn't cheap at all.  You don't go vertical hydro low pesticide if you plan on selling it cheap. This group plans to seize a -very- lucrative market.  The system helps them do -that-...it doesn't help them grow lettuce cheaply.  If there's going to be a global meltdown it isn't on account of this.  If this is what cheap lettuce looks like, then field labor is safe for the forseable future.

(I deeply and truly wish it were otherwise, btw.  You know, if a global economic meltdown included the scenario in which food was so cheap no one could be bothered to pay a dime worth anything to another person for it.....that would have to be an argument -in favor- of meltdown.  A pleasant unintended side effect.)

The company's CEO says that the lettuce will be cheap.

http://www.techinsider.io/spreads-robot-...oon-2016-1
"The resulting increase in revenue and resources could cut costs for consumers, Price says."

"Our mission is to help create a sustainable society where future generations will not have to worry about food security and food safety," Price says. "This means that we will have to make it affordable for everyone and begin to grow staple crops and plant protein to make a real difference.""

Some tomatoes are already grown in similar facilities but they use manpower to harvest them.  The new lettuce facility will use a minimum workforce.  When people around the world become surplus expect social unrest to explode everywhere.

[Dystopia]

The only issue I see here is that... Ehmm... If employees can be replaced by robots to work 24/7, then most likely the CEO will be the most easily replaceable part of the company.. Has anyone ever thought of that? I mean, why not? If you can replace workers, why not the employer? Arguably, owning lots of wealth is good, but it doesn't take tremendous hard work to pay your employees specially when you're the CEO of a big corporation and have assistants and specialists to help you out in literally anything.

[downbeatplumb]

And the bloody neo-liberal policies that produce unemployment and poor living conditions (at least in southern Europe it is)

Don't you know that unemployment rates will increase around the world and in all segments of society?  All kinds of jobs will be automated and out-sourced to robots.  For instance, a Japanese country has automated a farm to grow 30,000 heads of lettuce a day without any human involvement.  The good  news is that lettuce will be cheap but the bad news is that only a handful of people will make any money off of it.  So who's going to buy consumer goods and services?  The world's economy will collapse and there will be a global revolution.

I was reading something a while ago that estimated all low skilled jobs would be do able by robots by 2020 at the current rate of development. Its only a small leap for most office jobs to be done by AI as well.

[Excited Penguin]

I think money shouldn't exist at all, democracy should be perfected and the government should look after its citizens in every possible way. But what do I know.

[Wyrd of Gawd]

The only issue I see here is that... Ehmm... If employees can be replaced by robots to work 24/7, then most likely the CEO will be the most easily replaceable part of the company.. Has anyone ever thought of that? I mean, why not? If you can replace workers, why not the employer? Arguably, owning lots of wealth is good, but it doesn't take tremendous hard work to pay your employees specially when you're the CEO of a big corporation and have assistants and specialists to help you out in literally anything.

That idea is already being discussed in detail.
http://www.ceocoachinginternational.com/...lace-ceos/

http://www.cnet.com/news/your-next-insur...e-a-robot/

One day your family members might be robots.