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Americans Believe Robots Will Take Everyone Else's Job, But Theirs Will Be Safe, Study Says (cnbc.com)

Posted by msmash on from the what-we-think dept.

An anonymous reader shares a CNBC report: You may accept, by now, that robots will take over lots of jobs currently held by human workers. But you probably believe they won't be taking yours. Though other industries are in danger, your position is safe. That's according to a report released by LivePerson, a cloud-based messaging company which surveyed 2,000 U.S.-based consumers online in January. Their researchers find that only three percent of respondents say they experience fear about losing their job to a robot once a week. By contrast, more than 40 percent of respondents never worry about it. And a whopping 65 percent of respondents either strongly or somewhat agree that other industries will suffer because of automation, but theirs will be fine.

20 of 364 comments (clear)

  1. My job... by Narcocide · · Score: 5, Funny

    Was already taken by Indians. They can have fun fighting the robots for it I guess. It sucked anyway. Good riddance.

    1. Re:My job... by TWX · · Score: 4, Informative

      The Indians are chosen because they're currently less expensive than the robots, accounting for the total lifecycle of the robots through all of their various duties down the road.

      When the robots are cheaper than the Indians, it's not going to be a matter of a fight, it's going to be saying so-long to the Indians.

      --
      Do not look into laser with remaining eye.
    2. Re:My job... by s1d3track3D · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Was already taken by Indians.

      I'm so tired of hearing comments like this, nothing was taken! If Asians are now doing the job you used to do it's because it was given to them willingly by US corporate decision makers!
      All this backlash over immigrants ruining America is crap, we have done this ourselves, the 1% needs to keep its revenue growth high and has no problem sacrificing your welfare to do it.

    3. Re:My job... by gnick · · Score: 4, Insightful

      I'm so tired of hearing comments like this, nothing was taken!

      It's not hard to figure out what he meant - He was replaced by Indians. There's a negligible difference between "took my job" and "took over the job I was doing in spite of my protest". Do you also object to the headline, as robots aren't "taking" jobs, they're just being given jobs that used to belong to humans?

      --
      He's getting rather old, but he's a good mouse.
    4. Re:My job... by lucasnate1 · · Score: 4, Insightful

      we have done this ourselves, the 1% needs to keep its revenue growth high and has no problem sacrificing your welfare to do it.

      No, it's not "we" who have done this to ourselves' it's the 1% who has done this to us. The 1% don't see you as part of their "we", and as long as you will see yourself as part of their "we", you will be playing straight into their hands.

      --
      Avantgarde Hebrew science fiction
    5. Re:My job... by Evtim · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Oh yhea? Man, I feel so privileged to be in the top 2.5%! BTW, the poor bastard in say, Kazakhstan, does he pay 1000 Euro per month just for a place to live? How expensive is the kindergarten there [here it is 900 euro per month]? What about insurance?

      Is the above enough to give you a hint how incredibly wrong you are? Try to continue on your own from here....

  2. Well yeah by Ryanrule · · Score: 4, Insightful

    I program the robots.

    1. Re: Well yeah by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Insightful

      I make robots that program other robots.

    2. Re:Well yeah by MightyYar · · Score: 3, Interesting

      Here's the thing: it doesn't matter.

      If robots can take my job, then they will take my job. Sure, you can push for some local protectionism. Maybe even slow things down so that the transition happens after I retire or die. But at the end of the day, some society somewhere in the world will go with the more competitive option and my job will be history. Avoiding technical progress is working great for the Amish, but not everyone is so lucky to be ensconced by a benevolent, protective society.

      --
      W..w..W - Willy Waterloo washes Warren Wiggins who is washing Waldo Woo.
    3. Re:Well yeah by sjames · · Score: 3, Insightful

      That's why we need a safety net that makes it more or less OK if robots take your job.

      Don't forget that they can even indirectly take your job or at least cut into your pay. Imagine if robots take 25% of the jobs out there. Some small fraction of those people will then be applying for your job, and they'll probably be cheaper than you.

    4. Re:Well yeah by MightyYar · · Score: 4, Interesting

      I have no problem with a safety net in principle. The thing is, humans have a knack for being douchebags ^h^h^h^h^h^h^h^h^h^h using systems for a purpose other than designed, resulting in an outcome that is other than desired. Unless the desired outcome is long-term total government dependence, safety nets need to be very carefully designed and implemented.

      In case you can't pick up on it, I definitely do not favor government dependence. People seem to be depressed as hell when they are dependent. In a few cases, we see where dependence leads to total helplessness in the face of government failure, like in Katrina. Ghettos are also nice little teapots of dependence and misery.

      --
      W..w..W - Willy Waterloo washes Warren Wiggins who is washing Waldo Woo.
    5. Re:Well yeah by citylivin · · Score: 3, Informative

      "In case you can't pick up on it, I definitely do not favor government dependence. People seem to be depressed as hell when they are dependent."

      I used to feel that way till i went on government provided 9 month paternity leave which is the norm in canada. I worried about not working for about the first month, but by the end of it I was really used to walking in the parks with my son in the stroller and generally experiencing the wonder of life with him.

      Of course i think it does depend on why you are dependant. In my view, i earned that paternity leave (been paying into EI for 20 years and never went on unemployment...) and spending time with my son is the most important way i could be spending my time.

      A guaranteed basic income I think I could easily view as my right, same as i should have a right to healthcare, safety, fire protection and the other things the government provides.

      --
      As a potential lottery winner, I totally support tax cuts for the wealthy
  3. American believe... by The+Grim+Reefer · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Americans also believe that everyone one in Congress is a lying, cheating, worthless waste of oxygen, except for their own congressman. (s)he's doing a fantastic job and needs to be kept in office for the rest of their natural life.

    Hey, that gives me an idea. We should replace all congressmen with robots. Except mine, of course.

    1. Re:American believe... by HornWumpus · · Score: 3, Insightful

      No we don't. I live in CA, we have the _worst_ most corrupt senators in the nation.

      --
      John McAfee 'It was like that time I hired that Bangkok prostitute; to do my taxes, while I fucked my accountant'
    2. Re:American believe... by The+Grim+Reefer · · Score: 3, Insightful

      No we don't. I live in CA, we have the _worst_ most corrupt senators in the nation.

      Nancy Pelosi has been in congress since 1987, Darrel Issa since 2003, Maxine Waters 1991, Dianne Feinstein 1992, Barbara Boxer was in the Senate from 1993 until 2017.Dana Rohrabacher, 1989, Ken Calvert, Anna Eshoo, Lucille Roybal-Allard, Ed Royce have all been in their current office since 1993.They may be corrupt, but they keep getting reelected.

      It's not really much different anywhere else though. Robert Byrd in West Virginia served 51 years. He was even a member of the KKK while in office at one point. Strom Thurmond of South Carolina was in office just shy of 50 years. He still holds the record for the longest filibuster, which was in opposition of civil rights legislation. He was well known for fondling women as well. Ted Kennedy of Massachusetts was in for 46 years. After the incident with Mary Jo Kopechne, not only did he avoid any charges, he was also reelected.

  4. Fat Change by subk · · Score: 4, Insightful

    I would definitely put myself in that category that strongly disagrees. There may be robots that can do physical tasks in factories, and software "robots" that automate broadcast playout are a thing.. But the idea that a bipedal robot is going to be able to drive my work truck out to a remote & off-road site and go inside to replace a 9000 volt vacuum or climb up the 1800ft tower to find a loose hanger or air leak is almost as perposterous as the idea that we won't be using high power transmitters anymore. It just ain't gonna happen... And that's exactly why I left the datacenter to find a job like this one which requires hands-on skills.

    --
    Now, if you'll excuse me, I have backups to corrupt.
    1. Re:Fat Change by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

      I would definitely put myself in that category that strongly disagrees. There may be robots that can do physical tasks in factories, and software "robots" that automate broadcast playout are a thing.. But the idea that a bipedal robot is going to be able to drive my work truck out to a remote & off-road site and go inside to replace a 9000 volt vacuum or climb up the 1800ft tower to find a loose hanger or air leak is almost as perposterous as the idea that we won't be using high power transmitters anymore. It just ain't gonna happen... And that's exactly why I left the datacenter to find a job like this one which requires hands-on skills.

      All of these things are already happening, e.g. in the Texas oil fields. Not by bi-pedal robots, obviously, but by technologies that are designed expressly to reduce the need for bi-peds of any kind in the field. The systems you are maintaining were designed to be maintained in person by a skilled human. Industries are working hard to phase them out in favor of systems that can be installed by as few people as possible and managed all but entirely by remote desk-jockeys.

      Its not that there will be robots walking around with your breadth of experience, intuition and dexterity. Its that industry is phasing out the need for all of those qualities.

  5. Far from it by SuperKendall · · Score: 4, Funny

    I'm a robot, so I'm pretty sure I'm safe.

    What will happen when humans have no jobs? They will watch TV 24x7, right?

    And what will they watch?

    Well as history shows us, the most popular pastime is witnessing battles. With robots having recently taken away all the jobs, just who will humans want to se battling?

    That's right, robots.

    So Robot, you will enter the arena for our amusement , then have parts stripped from your shiny oiled hide by some variant of a hyper-advanced spinner bot. Wires crackling as the last sounds your failing audio receptors discern over even the rending sounds of your body being the cheering of human crowds at your imminent disassembly.

    That Mr R. Obot is your retirement plan.

    --
    "There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
  6. *All* pay rates will TANK when robots come in! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Because if robots take up a lot of jobs, then ALL the workforce is going to be fighting for the remaining few jobs and the value of labor will tank!

    We're in a market folks! If there are a bunch of unemployed people, an employer will be able to find someone willing to do YOUR job for less.

    I'm in a science job. That's highly skilled labor. But however, suppose there are ONLY science jobs left. Then everyone is going to be going after science jobs. Since there'll be an ABUNDANCE of supply and only a few jobs, your pay is going to be pretty damn negligible. You might get paid enough to eat if you're lucky.

    So you see, it doesn't matter AT ALL if my particular job is first or last to be automated. There'll be a general and strong downward slide in the value of human labor and everyone who needs a paycheck is going to be screwed.

    And this is ALREADY happening! In 1973, the share of corporate productivity that labor got as pay was 2x as large as today. If labor today had the SAME slice of corporate productivity, workers would have TWICE the purchasing power.

    Imagine if everyone had twice the purchasing power! There would be no problem with consumer debt or affording medical care, and furthermore, the economy would be humming because of all the demand from all that purchasing power in the hands of the workers. However, instead, the purchasing power is being piled up at the top, and the top isn't buying anything. They're just piling their money up. Corporations have immense piles of idle cash and so do the rich.

    I'd just love to have 2x the purchasing power, too bad all that power is being hogged to the top!

    --PeterM

  7. Americans believe a lot of stupid things by tekrat · · Score: 5, Informative

    1) Owning a gun makes you safer
    2) A big SUV is safer than a smaller car
    3) Donald Trump would make a good president
    4) The poor people are destroying this country
    5) Religion is a good thing
    6) You can trust corporations to police themselves

    --
    If telephones are outlawed, then only outlaws will have telephones.