The robots are leaving Amazon’s warehouses.
  • last_philosopher@lemmy.worldEnglish
    81·
    19 天前

    Let’s count the problems:

    1. Up front cost
    2. Maintenance cost
    3. Varied problems like different types of stairs, tripping hazards, etc.
    4. People attacking or stealing robots and their packages.
    5. Safety issues with 100+ pound metal robots falling on pets and children

    Any others?

    • CheeseNoodle@lemmy.worldEnglish
      1·
      18 天前

      Rain? I know its not going to fall over and shoot out sparks like a cartoon but rain does mess with visibility and grip, plus this is a robot with a lot of joints and moving parts that’s probably going to be maintained by someone who has to pee in a bottle so the cartoon falling over and shooting sparks isn’t actually out of the question.

  • thatradomguy@lemmy.worldEnglish
    71·
    19 天前

    Yo why tf can’t they just fucking pay people a reasonable wage AND give them sane working conditions? This is insane. Capitalism does not favor anyone except the rich. It’s time to tear down this wall of mediocrity and face the facts. No sense of government intervention will fix this. It must all be rewritten entirely.

    • squaresinger@lemmy.worldEnglish
      7·
      19 天前

      Because it’s not real. It’s purely for marketing, not for actual wide-spread implementation.

      Even in the best of cases, even factoring in economy of scale and all that, a robot like that will cost upwards of €50k at least, probably closer to double that, will require constant maintainance, and the risk of vandalism or accidental damage is really high. And you’ll likely need a (skilled) human operator nearby anyway, because the delivery vehicle doesn’t drive itself.

      The purpose of projects like this is marketing and public perception.

      • The company looks futuristic and future proof. That’s good to get investors.
      • The company looks like they could replace humans with robots at any time. That’s good with negotiations with unions and workers.
      • The company gets into headlines worldwide. That’s advertisement they don’t have to pay for.

      This robot is not meant to ever go mainstream. Maybe there will be a handful of routes where they will be implemented for marketing purposes, but like drone delivery and similar gimmicks, it won’t beat a criminally underpaid delivery human on price, and that’s the only metric that counts for a company like Amazon.

  • PumpkinSkink@lemmy.worldEnglish
    12·
    19 天前

    No they fucking aren’t. That shit would be so much more expensive than a person. Liars, and not even particularly good ones.

    • mostlikelyaperson@lemmy.worldEnglish
      1·
      17 天前

      Yup, and people seem to frequently underestimate how ridiculously expensive running a fleet of humanoid robots would be (and don’t seem to realize how comparatively low the manual labor it’d replace is paid.)

    • feddup@feddit.ukEnglish
      2·
      19 天前

      Just like when they were going to replace all their delivery drivers with drones. It’s just bullshit.

    • Basic Glitch@lemm.eeOPEnglish
      5·
      19 天前

      I mean apparently they’re partnering with a private robotics company. The picture is an actual model of the company’s robot. Whether or not they actually end up implementing this, they’re allegedly currently training the robots.

      Presumably, if nothing else, Amazon/Bezos is probably getting some sweet federal kick backs to attempt this and further the current administration’s agenda to beat “Gyna” in the science and tech race. Except unlike Gyna, the U.S. is firing all of their scientists (which, until Jan. 2025, was one area that the U.S. had unquestionably dominated China) bc they think AI can replace them too.

      So now, they’re just handing all the resources to the kind of technocratic “elites” who are used to just purchasing their good ideas, rather than actually creating anything. This is also why they seem to genuinely believe something like Amazon humanoids is a sound investment, “durr, we don’t need people bcuz we haz robots.”

      Fun fact, just learned they are indeed going to try to replace scientists with robots too. There was a meeting about it yesterday:

      For all we know they made the futuristic robot exoskeleton, took some fancy pictures of it holding a package, and that’s all she wrote. The end result is just some rich assholes are slightly richer at the expense of the tax payer, and we should be grateful. 'Merica! 🇺🇲

      • emergencyfood@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
        3·
        19 天前

        Amazon/Bezos is probably getting some sweet federal kick backs

        I think it’s more a threat against employees. The robots can be used as scabs.

        which, until Jan. 2025, was one area that the U.S. had unquestionably dominated China

        China had more scientists and papers well before this year. And China dominates particularly in fields like maths, computer science and manufacturing.

        they are indeed going to try to replace scientists with robots

        I can actually think of a lot of uses for robots in research. And, of course, there are a lot of robots in labs already; they just don’t look like humans.

        • Basic Glitch@lemm.eeOPEnglish
          11·
          19 天前

          More scientists and data, but research quality in China has been very poor for quite some time, hence a lot of questions and concerns regarding methods, data collection, and number of retracted articles.

          The entire idea of the “China virus” and the Trump/Republicans lab leak/attack on NIH funding to EcoHealth, and their collaboration with Wuhan Institute of Virology, hinged on pointing out the lack of lab safety standards in China that wouldn’t have allowed the research to occur here.

          On the flip side, now that Trump is in power, OSTP is focused on removing regulations to science and tech bc they argue they are slowing us down in the AI race against China.

          Kinda seems like a load of BS especially considering AI data in China is very poor likely bc of the lack of regulations

          https://www.aljazeera.com/economy/2024/8/9/china-wrestles-with-quantity-over-quality-in-generative-ai-patents

          • emergencyfood@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
            2·
            19 天前

            I think it would be more correct to say that quality control in Chinese science is very poor. I have seen top quality research, and I have also seen crap that should not have been published at all. But the sheer quantity of output means that the next big discovery in <insert field> will be from China.

            OSTP is focused on removing regulations to science and tech bc they argue they are slowing us down in the AI race against China.

            I don’t work on AI, but in my field I have seen the insane speed and scale of Chinese research. Now I’m from a developing country; the US can probably give better funding than we can, but I am inclined to agree that Chinese science does benefit from easier and better funding and a faster administrative process.

            AI data in China is very poor likely bc of the lack of regulations

            The big problem for AI research in China seems to be a shortage of high-end GPUs due to the trade wars. China is very strong in maths and comp sci, and they are finding workarounds, but it is still a pretty hard barrier.

    • Almacca@aussie.zoneEnglish
      41·
      20 天前

      Technological unemployment is only going to get worse without a plan to support the people being replaced by automation. They can’t just ‘get another job’. As long as the benefits of this stuff only goes to shareholders, it can fuck off.

      • doodledup@lemmy.worldEnglish
        11·
        20 天前

        It’s called structural change. And I don’t see why it’s a bad thing. We would still be plowing our fields with ox and cart if we had denied every technological unemployment in the past.

        Delivery jobs are the most ungrateful and exhausting low-paying jobs. And you want humans to keep doing them for the rest of mankind’s future? Pretty grim future in my opinion.

        • 5too@lemmy.worldEnglish
          4·
          20 天前

          It’s not that we don’t want robots doing it - honestly that’d be pretty cool. It’s that we want to be sure the people that are being replaced are being taken care of.

          • Almacca@aussie.zoneEnglish
            2·
            20 天前

            I imagine a post-scarcity world where all basic needs are met for everyone on the planet without question, and with minimal need for human labour, and that more as technical overseers. People would be free to work as much or as little as they want at whatever they want for their own betterment, or the betterment of the world, or do nothing at all if they want, or whatever. Is that too much to ask?

        • Almacca@aussie.zoneEnglish
          1·
          20 天前

          No. I don’t want them to starve when they get replaced by robots, which is the current plan, apparently.

          • doodledup@lemmy.worldEnglish
            12·
            20 天前

            Well if you’re ignorant enough to think things will stay the same for the rest of your life while digitalization is ramping up… With all respect, who’s at fault here?! Just diversify and find different avenues.

    • Skua@kbin.earth
      5·
      20 天前

      Presumably because it’s Amazon doing it. It is quite reasonable to have a general level of distaste and suspicion for tha company

    • HeerlijkeDrop@thebrainbin.org
      81·
      20 天前

      Would be cool, if it wasn’t so hard to find a job already. Now androids are going to take the rest. If I would be able to buy an android for doing house chores then yes it would be cool

      • doodledup@lemmy.worldEnglish
        11·
        20 天前

        There is always going to be jobs. Else, there is nobody who’s buying products from Amazon. It’s a self-regulating system. New jobs will be created when old ones die out. Just think of the millions of workers doing manual sewing that got replaced by mechanical sewing machines. Or all the farmers and oxes that got replaced by tractors.

        • 5too@lemmy.worldEnglish
          3·
          20 天前

          There will always be some jobs. That’s no guarantee that there will be enough jobs for everyone to live modest lives on.

          • doodledup@lemmy.worldEnglish
            11·
            20 天前

            Some will be left behind. It’s not good. But if you look at the course of our past 10.000 years history, it has always meant progress and a better quality of life for the majority.

        • HeerlijkeDrop@thebrainbin.org
          1·
          20 天前

          What jobs will delivery robots create? Mechanics? What about summer time jobs? One has to begin somewhere. No one is born an engineer with experience

  • frazw@lemmy.worldEnglish
    261·
    21 天前

    Amazon 1 year after launch: Unfortunately, the space needed for robots in the van means that the van has to return to base 5 times more often to reload with the actual packages and the extra weight of robots more than doubles the weight of the van being lugged around in the form of heavy robots. So that’s why we are having to charge more for delivery and why it is taking longer for you to get your packages. But at least we can pay fewer salaries.

    • ChapulinColorado@lemmy.worldEnglish
      161·
      20 天前

      Also we don’t pay taxes but will fuck up the roads with the extra weight. Good luck driving over potholes suckers!

    • bluGill@fedia.io
      2·
      20 天前

      That is still better for both the environment and safety than everyone going to the store seperately in their own car. (Transit or walking of course are still better yet).

      • 5too@lemmy.worldEnglish
        6·
        20 天前

        Why is that the comparison, though? Sears developed mail-order catalogues in the 1800s. That’s what Amazon replaced.

    • Basic Glitch@lemm.eeOPEnglish
      17·
      20 天前

      I guess they felt like drones flying over civilian populations was a bit too unsettling in this day and age, so they are shifting to humanoids that will jump suddenly from moving vehicles and dash towards a destination.

    • atticus88th@lemmy.worldEnglish
      2·
      19 天前

      The robot dogs police are starting to use has a two big red buttons, one on the face and one on the ass. Just jam your finger or pointer end of your rifle and it returns to station or shuts down.

    • Basic Glitch@lemm.eeOPEnglish
      2·
      19 天前

      I feel like we’re going to end up with more laws protecting robots and surveillance cameras than our own civil liberties.

      Wonder where all those angry white guys with tiki torches and khaki shorts are now? The ones that thought the Jews were trying to replace them? 🤔

  • intensely_human@lemm.eeEnglish
    5·
    20 天前

    humanoid robot: dances

    amazon: shock

    humanoid robot: makes coffee

    amazon: shock

    humanoid robot: delivers package

    amazon: friendly shock

  • Botzo@lemmy.worldEnglish
    14·
    21 天前

    They can depreciate these assets over their useful life, because unlike your soggy flesh sack, these are capital expenses, not operating expenses.

    … For now. I’m sure there are libertarians that think you should be able to sell yourself as the depreciable asset you are.

  • Ledericas@lemm.eeEnglish
    14·
    20 天前

    everyone knows its just going to be indians in a data center in india controlling the bots.

  • Bone@lemmy.worldEnglish
    1·
    21 天前

    Like Marty in the grocery store, a waste of space. Get out of my way, Marty!