Our Terminator thread is overwhelmed with an ever-increasing [insert Apocalyptic phrase-du-jour here], so...

A thread chronicling the building of our job-killers:

I have some good news and some bad news. The bad news first.  This one will devastate jobs even in the 3rd World.  The good news is that Nike, etc. won't need to run sweatshops.

https://www.fastcompany.com/3067149/robot-revolution/is-this-sewing-robot-the-future-of-fashion


<changed thread name. was Robotic Job-Killers>

The most IMPORTANT issue of our time FOR SURE

I may have to throttle my news reader on kw phrase 'job killer.'

QuoteThe In Situ Fabricator1 is designed from the bottom up to be practical. It can build stuff using a range of tools with a precision of less than five millimeters, it is designed to operate semi-autonomously in a complex changing environment, it can reach the height of a standard wall, and it can fit through ordinary doorways. And it is dust- and waterproof, runs off standard electricity, and has battery backup.

https://www.technologyreview.com/s/603429/new-robotic-fabricator-could-change-the-way-buildings-are-constructed/

Planet Money had a good episode on the sewing robot and why it's such a hard problem to crack (short answer: shear forces -> wrinkling) and how they finally cracked it

http://www.npr.org/sections/money/2016/08/03/488611449/episode-715-the-sewing-robot

Robots Are Taking Over Oil Rigs

QuoteAutomation means wells need only five workers, down from 20

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-01-24/robots-are-taking-over-oil-rigs-as-roughnecks-become-expendable

'Automated dermatologist' detects skin cancer with expert accuracy

http://www.cnn.com/2017/01/26/health/ai-system-detects-skin-cancer-study/

Quote from: rcjordan on January 26, 2017, 12:20:23 PM
'Automated dermatologist' detects skin cancer with expert accuracy

http://www.cnn.com/2017/01/26/health/ai-system-detects-skin-cancer-study/

@littleman RE impacts on "low skill" workers - add this one to my comment about radiologists. People, especially MDs, are not ready for this.

In a way I think the threat to skilled labor is a good thing in that it will cause us to address the problem faster than if it was just the bottom rung left behind. 

[changed thread title. it's more than robots]

Had an eye exam lately?  Last couple of years for my exams, the doc just checks and signs off on what the computer scans.  Lemme assemble a couple of articles here that spell out job doom for optometrists.

http://www.npr.org/sections/alltechconsidered/2016/05/25/479346651/online-eye-exam-site-makes-waves-in-eye-care-industry

http://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2015/05/28/409731415/smart-phones-are-so-smart-they-can-now-test-your-vision

https://phys.org/news/2017-01-smart-glasses-automatically-focus-wearer.html

Quote from: littleman on January 26, 2017, 07:43:15 PM
In a way I think the threat to skilled labor is a good thing in that it will cause us to address the problem faster than if it was just the bottom rung left behind. 

Agreed. But I think most skilled professionals think it will happen to the other guy. They haven't adjusted yet.

>They haven't adjusted yet

And they have good lobbyists and certification boards awash in self-interest. On top of that, older users just don't trust tech even if the numbers prove it (see pharmacist post. stats are overwhelmingly support robot pharmacists but hospitals balk at the PR problem.)

Oakland international airport

THERE'S AN ANDROID HELPING OUT AT AN AIRPORT IN CALIFORNIA

http://www.digitaltrends.com/cool-tech/pepper-at-oakland-airport/

Scratch those document review jobs:

"Robots have recently entered the legal workplace, performing several tasks once assigned to newly minted law grads. What does this mean for current and future lawyers? Simple answer: robots will not replace lawyers but they will work with them"

http://www.forbes.com/sites/markcohen1/2016/09/06/artificial-intelligence-and-legal-delivery/#12652f282647

>replace lawyers

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/parking-tickets-teenager-creates-website-allowing-motorist-to-them-in-minutes-10484200.html

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-3453318/The-robot-lawyer-traffic-cops-Stanford-student-s-chatbot-successfully-appealed-3-MILLION-parking-tickets-set-launch-New-York.html

http://www.geekwire.com/2016/off-record-speeding-ticket-app/

https://techcrunch.com/2016/06/15/fixed-the-app-that-helps-you-fight-tickets-gets-acquired-by-a-law-firm/

I've been reading up on 'robot-proofing' and almost all of the articles are vague, too broad , over-simplified, and have a light smack of dismissiveness. Like so;

http://www.forbes.com/sites/bernardmarr/2016/08/12/will-these-4-skills-help-future-proof-your-career/

IMO, you can't teach creativity or empathy or some aspects of social-situation mastery to the point that a job is safe. You *can* teach 'the general rules, responses, & reactions' to give them a better skillset ...but you're outlining patterns here. And if it's a pattern....

Ergophobe termed it better -I forget the phrase he used- but having a job that deals with unpredictable interactions is the most tech-proof, I think.

Robot-proof your kids by teaching them to perform "unpredictable" jobs

http://boingboing.net/2017/01/23/robot-proof-your-kids-by-teach.html