Robopocalypse Report #3

The robopocalypse marches towards us inexorably.  This industrial revolution has vast implications.  Ones which we as a society need to take seriously.  In some places, the Robopocalypse has already arrived, even if its in a small part.

In Japan, a hotel - the Weird Hotel - has replaced a huge number of labor with bots.  The checkin is touch screen (with a weird bot talking to you).  The cloak room attendant is a bot and the porters for your luggage are machines as well.  The reason?  To save money on labor costs: this is the future and exactly what we have been talking about for the Robopocalypse.

Japan has had a long tradition of attempting the Robopocalypse.  This is due to its aging population and that they do not want immigration.  The United States is now getting in on the act.  In fact, not California, but rather Georgia might be embracing the Robopocalypse in ways some fear and others did not anticipate.

Macon-Bibb, Georgia is seeking to add drones strategically placed to be first responders.  Or "first recon," you might say.  A drone, in theory, could be sent to do the equivalent of a police drive by or check out whether or not a tree has downed a electrical line, etc. faster than dispatching a person could be.  

The question does remain whether or not the Robopocalypse will have a huge impact on labor.  Or not.  One study was run to see what the impacts of robots were between 1993 to 2007 on labor.   The study did not find there was much of an impact on employment by and large.  Except for the lower end, lower skilled, there was almost no negative impact at all.  Now, this was over a 15 year period, to be sure, but it was with older tech which has not been as versatile.  The versatility is what concerns us. A pop sci write up is here.