Thursday 29 June 2017

Robots.


                

When The Countess of Shopville next visits her 'out of town' Hypermarket, buys things she doesn't need, with money she doesn't have, she may possibly choose to go through an un-manned checkout, and allow basic robotics to deal with her purchases. She might also pay with an arbitrary swipe of a plastic card.

I have just been listening to a radio programme about the 'frightening' future of robots, and it seems that the UK is lagging behind. Whereas the UK has just 15,000 robots in use at present, other countries such as Germany, China, and Japan, each have about 150,000.

What jobs are now safe? Even your mooning bricklayer is being replaced by machines.

Children leaving school should think very hard about what careers to follow.



35 comments:

  1. I foresee a future without the need for human intervention?

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    Replies
    1. And standardised 'universal salaries'. Everyone will be paid £100,000 to stay at home, whilst machines do most of the work. Not a pleasant prospect.

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  2. Tens of millions of people with nothing to do all day. There's only one way that will end, in drink, drugs and eventually violent revolution. Humans need a sense of purpose and for most that is fulfilled by work.

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  3. The rest of the world has a long way to go to reach those numbers. Don't worry, we'll all be wiped before robots take over places like Greece or the Sudan

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    Replies
    1. Wiped out.....or s-wiped out?

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    2. Maybe it will be the robot-resisters who will survive.

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  4. A frightening future. (Has anyone invented a gardening robot that can pull weeds?)

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    1. The creators of Roomba have invented a robotic weeder called Tertill. My daughter and son in law own a Roomba and I thought about mentioning the garden version to them.

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  5. I would say a career in designing, building or fixing robots would be a good bet.

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    Replies
    1. Maybe the robots will eventually find humans as being unnecessary.

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  6. Strange how you have shown the brick laying machine, one of these was designed by a friend of mine who lived in Bristol - it failed because the operators were too lazy to clean it thoroughly.

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    1. I believe this one is German. However, I wouldn't want to live in a house that had just a single skin of brick.

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  7. It's not that fast at laying bricks though. I'm sure they will speed it up.

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    Replies
    1. And it takes a human to scrape off all the excess pug.

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  8. It does produce neat, straight and perfectly plumb joints without the need for lines or levels. I bet it doesn't drive itself to the site.

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  9. The world is changing very fast, and I am glad I am old.

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  10. Check out Demmis Hassabis for the future of the world.

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    Replies
    1. It is all in computer games already.

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    2. He looks interesting, however, I can never think of AI without thinking of cattle.

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    3. Algorithms and cattle? You've lost me.

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    4. I was thinking of the film A.I. and how much I would like a 'Teddy'.

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  11. I was a little gobsmacked by the video, but then I thought, why not? Laser guided, etc etc. Picking up the mortar was impressive though. But again, why not? Strict consistency of mortar, mixed by a machine. There is no reason why the machine cannot do some fancy brick work either. Which commenter said I am glad to be old? I am. The exponential growth of technology does my head in.

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  12. I met a robot designer on holiday 2 years ago in the Azores.

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    1. You never know who you're going to meet on holiday. I once met a girl who had won a British 'Barmaid of the Year' award. Her prize was the holiday.

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  13. At present I could do with a robot to help pack all my boxes for the move.

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    Replies
    1. I thought you were all packed and ready! Horrible job; I sympathise.

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  14. H G Wells. Well we're not there yet.

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    Replies
    1. Not far off Graham; close enough to start worrying.

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