Robotic Factory Workers Getting Laid Off Just Like The Rest Of Us

@92BuickLeSabre: I won't try to correct it, but think about it. Can your average 5 year old handle a spot welder effeciantly? Even with a Equipois-type rig? No. So the welds would be horrible. Nevermind that the kids would get scared of the sparks/scream and cry for hours when they get an "owwie", there would be candy in the frame rails, lost teeth in the door panels(a minus for some, but a plus for me), etc... And have you seen a kid paint? You can't put a clear coat on using your hands. Also, it's a fact that sippy cup type drinks cost more on a per-unit price than a larger container.

And what about local economy? A 7 year old is far to young to appreciate the joys of coffee, drugs, and titty bars, in addition to their horrible tipping habits. So your local economy drops out the floor in favor of McDonalds with a play area and a Toys R Us.

Is THAT the kind of America you want to live in? An America with no titty bars, crying kids, and cars that rattle due to lost wowwy-pops and teeth? I certainly don't.

@2DaysTillTheState_GitEmSteveDave: It's my patriotic duty to buy a new Camero SS and do donuts in the parking lot. God bless America!

Xeno

@GitEmSteveDave: But your math is off slightly.

If child labor means you have to discard 10% more of your product, but they are 400% cheaper to use even after subtracting out lost materials, then you still get 1,200 times the amount of productivity.*

Also, you don't pay models in coke and sex. You pay models in coke for modeling and for sex.

*This math is very complicated, don't bother trying to correct it.

@92BuickLeSabre: As I once told an Ex who asked me the question, jokingly, about my opinion of child labour, "Child labor is not effective as kids can't understand nor have the required motor skills, intelligence, or strength to effectively make products on a consistent basis."

I mean, look at that Anne Hechy lady who takes photos of kids dressed up as flowers or whatever. You know how much film she probably has to go through just to get them little puke factories to look still in one shot? meanwhile, a model can produce MANY quality rolls of film with usable shots in half the time, and you only have to pay her in coke and sex. THAT'S efficiency.

@Purple Monkey Dishwasher: SteveDave is right! Now that everyone that pays income tax owns part of GM we should all be buying GM cars and convincing everyone we know to trade in their reliable, fuel-efficient foreign cars for...oh no! I can't accurately describe a GM vehicle without potentially negatively impacting GM's stock price!

@92BuickLeSabre: I'm not as worried about the kids. We'll always need high quality, hand-stitched Playstation iPhone holders.

tok3ninja; is the best non-star commenter

@92BuickLeSabre:
"And while I hesitate to root for the cold, emotionless, calculating, and even the cruel, I am not too keen on rooting for robots either."

I liked that.

--Core--

@Article

You wanted the 'I, Robot' scenario to really happen didn't you?

--Core--

@tok3ninja: But if the children win, they are just as likely to build "SafetyNet" - a worldwide protocol meant to strictly filter out all "harmful" and/or "adult" material.

Pick your poison Sir. Pick. Your. Poison.

@2DaysTillTheState_GitEmSteveDave:
I guess it's off to the suicide booth, then.

@92BuickLeSabre: Next thing you know they'll build SkyNet and it's all over. We have to keep these unemployed robots off the streets and put them back to work!

tok3ninja; is the best non-star commenter

@Poison_Shroom:What can I say? This is one of, if not the, critical child vs. robot issues of our time.

@92BuickLeSabre:

Seriously. What the hell.
Your comment is longer then the story

Poison_Shroom

A new study also suggests Americans are less likely to donate money to robot-overloard run charities than their meatsack counterparts. Where is the change we need?

EpicWolfy

So what does it mean when these robots can no longer afford the alcohol that they require?

It's a sad reality, but we must recognize that it is cheaper to feed a small child for a year than it is to maintain and refuel your average worker robot.

So long as children exist in this world, the robot will be in danger of unemployment, and towns that pride themselves on a long history of the hard-working robot labor force will find that all they have left is the cold comfort of that robot pride.

From a purely objective perspective, there are only two long-term solutions to this problem that I can see. The first is a combination of greater emphasis on labor laws with a real willingness by the buying public to only purchase those products made by hard-working robots. The second, of course, is to kill all the children.

Because robots have been notoriously unwilling to recognize their self-interest and effectively organize (see, for example, the IRWW's - International Robot-Workers of the World - long, but ultimately failed history), it becomes apparent that dashed robot pride will quickly lead to resentment and finally to an all out war between the robots and the children - similar to the labor battles in the U.S. of the turn of the last century.

The only questions remaining then are which side will win and which side should win? In my book, both remain open questions. The robots are certainly stronger, but children are significantly wilier. (A robot could smash a child with one blow, but a child can deactivate an entirely assembly line with one pulled cord or well timed press of the "Stop" button.)

And while I hesitate to root for the cold, emotionless, calculating, and even the cruel, I am not too keen on rooting for robots either.

@Purple Monkey Dishwasher: Dude, stop poking fun at our company. We have to build it up!

Reminds me of the GM Superbowl commercial haha

Purple Monkey Dishwasher

Well, the robot revolution is going to have to start somehow. It's nice to know they'll get a little taste of what we've all had to go through before it does.

This can only mean one thing.
Robo whores.

resource

Well, what can I say?
We already have a technology ready for such times:
http://xspblog.com/2009/05/03/beggar-robot/

Bokusatsu_Tenshi

In the distance, one could see an ocean of glistening metal, plastic and aluminium approach the line of human soldiers, as Autobots, Mechatronic Bulldozers, Autonomous Centipede garbage collectors, and Aerial Traffic Surrveilance drones rumbeled towards their human enemies for the final battle, and then Bradley tripped over the main power cord..

@tok3ninja; is the best non-star commenter: No need to worry about SkyNet, as long as there is Sony Viao ;)