Sam's Club is putting robot janitors in all of its stores during the pandemic

[essentialsaltes]

Soon every Sam's Club will have a robot to scrub the store floors.

In partnership with Brain Corp, an artificial intelligence company, the membership-only warehouse chain will distribute 372 new autonomous floor scrubbers to its stores this fall.
Sam's Club, which is owned by Walmart, has already deployed hundreds of the robotic scrubbers. With the addition of 372 new robots, the company will soon have a scrubber in each location. It will also implement one of Brain Corp's accessories that will allow them to analyze shelf inventory.

We have to consider what happens and how to respond as a society as automation replaces jobs.

 

[( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)]

It's going to be interesting to see the value of Walmart's stock after this report.

 

[public hermit]

Capitalism doesn't work well if there aren't enough jobs to go around. If things keep going this direction and the vast majority of jobs become automated, some kind of guaranteed base income might be the reasonable option. I would think those most opposed to socialism would the first to decry automation. Automation will make it difficult to sustain the staus quo.

What will we do with all that leisure time? I suggest we all read philosophy.

 

[dqhall]

Soon every Sam's Club will have a robot to scrub the store floors.

In partnership with Brain Corp, an artificial intelligence company, the membership-only warehouse chain will distribute 372 new autonomous floor scrubbers to its stores this fall.
Sam's Club, which is owned by Walmart, has already deployed hundreds of the robotic scrubbers. With the addition of 372 new robots, the company will soon have a scrubber in each location. It will also implement one of Brain Corp's accessories that will allow them to analyze shelf inventory.

We have to consider what happens and how to respond as a society as automation replaces jobs.

BHP has autonomous trucks in one of the world’s largest iron mines. Companies are working on autonomous ride sharing vehicles. There have been advances in robotic surgery and auto assembly.

 

[bèlla]

It's going to be interesting to see the value of Walmart's stock after this report.

The stock should rise. I read an article a few years ago about automation used for harvesting. The machines could work around the clock and diminish the need for laborers. The example was apple pickers.

Yours in His Service,

~Bella

 

[bèlla]

What will we do with all that leisure time? I suggest we all read philosophy.

Not so fast Mr. Veblen. Base is the qualifier in that statement. It won't be much at all.

Yours in His Service,

~Bella

 

[( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)]

I don't think the world's tech is going to get as advanced as Isaac Asimov wrote about in his Robot series.
We'll see the end before that ever happens.
But in the next go around after the Lord starts another one, I believe society will see it in the latter days.

 

[public hermit]

Not so fast Mr. Veblen. Base is the qualifier in that statement. It won't be much at all.

Yours in His Service,

~Bella

Who can know what it will be? And, perhaps, that is not the best option. But we (somebody) will have to figure something out when you have the masses with no work available.

Then again, maybe I'm being too optimistic thinking we would actually anticipate an issue and be proactive? It will probably happen so gradually that we will have to endure a couple decades of people out of work, discontented, and acting out accordingly. I mean, let's face it, when have we tackled a looming crisis on the front end and avoided disaster. Probably not often.

By the by, I'm no Mr. Veblen, haha. Thank you. One does not have to be a critic of capitalism to recognize automation might very well make such a system unsustainable.

 

[Darkhorse]

Some of the Wal-Marts around here have them also. They seem pretty sophisticated.

 

[FireDragon76]

They're already deployed in many stores, even before the pandemic.

 

[mnorian]

Next is the robot as consumer; then you wont need humans at all.

A research paper; PDF; on the next step of having the robot shop for you (them?):

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/316587652_THE_ROBOT_AS_A_CONSUMER_A_RESEARCH_AGENDA

In search of greater productivity, efficiency, and improved competitiveness, companies from all sectors of the economy have started to adopt robots and artificial intelligence for producing products, delivering products, communicating with customers, etc. Recent technological advances made robots accessible to consumers as well (e.g. intelligent digital assistants, home cleaning robots, cooking robots, etc.). Consumer robots currently are perceived as technological products, produced by companies and sold to end consumers. However, the current and future functionalities of home robots (will) allow them to search, filter, select and purchase various products and services on behalf of their owners. This means that they (will) interfere in the consumer behaviour of their owners by determining the options their owners can choose from. This raises the question whether it is the robot or its owner who makes the decision for purchase. Hence, in the future, companies should target not only the customers but also their home robots who will make many of the actual purchases. Much of the political battle with regards to control will rest in the control of default settings of the algorithms in the AI controlling robots. This paper intends contribute to the advancement of knowledge in the field of consumer behaviour and marketing communications by addressing the various marketing issues that arise from the adoption of home robots and setting the research agenda for their future studies

 

[bèlla]

Then again, maybe I'm being too optimistic thinking we would actually anticipate an issue and be proactive?

Let's play devils advocate.

If I created a product that would reduce the livelihood of many and didn't champion an alternative in its place. I'd posit that isn't a concern. The developer knows the pros and cons of their products. They're marketing them to people who want the gains and care little about the downsides. He can be altruistic and make suggestions to offset the problem or remain quiet.

It will probably happen so gradually that we will have to endure a couple decades of people out of work, discontented, and acting out accordingly. I mean, let's face it, when have we tackled a looming crisis on the front end and avoided disaster. Probably not often.

I don't have a word on the matter. But I expect a difficult period based on related directives from the Lord.

By the by, I'm no Mr. Veblen, haha. Thank you. One does not have to be a critic of capitalism to recognize automation might very well make such a system unsustainable.

You set that up nicely. I had to give a nod.

Yours in His Service,

~Bella

 

[public hermit]

I don't have a word on the matter. But I expect a difficult period based on related directives from the Lord

I'm no prophet (surprise, surprise), but what if we have a directive from the Lord? What if that directive is "be prudent." We know automation is eliminating jobs. We can be confident it will continue. What are we going to do? I don't know

You set that up nicely. I had to give a nod

And all I can say is, "Nicely done!"

 

[bèlla]

I'm no prophet (surprise, surprise), but what if we have a directive from the Lord? What if that directive is "be prudent." We know automation is eliminating jobs. We can be confident it will continue. What are we going to do? I don't know

I would follow the Lord's directives. What that implies will differ for everyone. But I wouldn't fret or devote a lot of energy to supposition. I think its unhealthy.

God always has a ram in the bush.

Yours in His Service,

~Bella

 

[Kenny'sID]

So, I look at the OP and am trying to figure out how this is Trumps fault..

 

[Speedwell]

So, I look at the OP and am trying to figure out how this is Trumps fault..

Why do you want to blame him? Sam's Club is just one place among many which is eliminating jobs through automation. As a society we are going to have to come up with a way to distribute the wealth created by the economy without necessarily requiring everyone to work. It's a problem which has been looming over us for decades, since well before Trump

 

[Kenny'sID]

Why do you want to blame him? Sam's Club is just one place among many which is eliminating jobs through automation. As a society we are going to have to come up with a way to distribute the wealth created by the economy without necessarily requiring everyone to work. It's a problem which has been looming over us for decades, since well before Trump

Lol

If you didn't get it, no big deal.

 

[Kenny'sID]

Why do you want to blame him? Sam's Club is just one place among many which is eliminating jobs through automation. As a society we are going to have to come up with a way to distribute the wealth created by the economy without necessarily requiring everyone to work. It's a problem which has been looming over us for decades, since well before Trump

See, someone got it.

 

[Sophrosyne]

I've seen both the floor sweeper and inventory robots here in Sam's Clubs and Walmart stores. I don't think that they are going to but shift jobs from a janitorial to a company that now makes and services these high tech robots. We have had robots on assembly lines making our smart phones and TV sets more affordable already perhaps a robot in stores will help it keep cleaner and more restocked. Often the people who did janitorial work at stores also did stocking and receiving. With stores offering delivery services and curb side services those janitors can now do that work instead.

 

[Kenny'sID]

Amazon has been using the sweepers for sometime now in their fulfillment centers. They're big and much like the home robot sweeper. I'd like to have one but it's big enough to eat my cat.

Here are some more Amazon robotics.