Fmr. McDonald's USA CEO: $35K Robots Cheaper Than Hiring at $15 Per Hour.

[alexw]

The problem he doesn't mention is that this is the direction the fast food industry (and others...truck driving especially) is going in the next 5-10 years, and it will happen even if wages don't change to $15/hr.

Yeah that is the part that I find hilarious. The Foxites froth at the mouth about raising the minimum wage but make absolutely no mention of the fact that at some point within the next decade the robots will become cheaper than workers at the current minimum wage.

Their argument taken to its logical conclusion is that we should be paying workers less and less as times goes by and lowering their living standards commensurately, so that those workers jobs are not automated away. I would oh so love to see Fox news argue that.

[the]

Next thing you know, steam-powered drills will put John Henry out of work! What's the world coming to...

[Al Gorefiend]

He is exaggerating. Even if they automate the majority of fast food jobs that is only a few millions jobs down the drain. That isn't going to cause wide spread chaos and theoretically there will be an expansion of jobs (such as repair) that would help.

I don't think we will see repeats of drastic things, because unlike hundreds of years ago we don't have 80-90% of the population in one line of work (agriculture).

I'm glad I have the knowledge and experience of multiple different fields that couldn't possibly be replaced by automation.

[Deleted]

With a much simplified menu, maybe.

we have robots that can build cars, surely we can have a robot that can make a burger? :P

they could automate a lot anyway, taking orders is already done, thats automated already. basic cheese burgers and putting fries in a bag could be easily done.

[hrugner]

And that's how you get "former" in your title.

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And in 20 years you could build a computer for 10k to run your company instead of paying a ceo millions of dollars. I mean you could probably do that now but you might want a human to check over it and would prob cost alot more.

Have you read about the machines that do most of our stock trading? We're pretty much at this point already.

[jayinjersey]

it’s cheaper to buy a $35,000 robotic arm than it is to hire an employee who’s inefficient making $15 an hour bagging French fries --

I think that's the key part of the statement there...
It's also the reason people complain about people "taking their jobs" ...

Maybe if those $15 an hour workers took a little pride and made themselves a bit more efficient it wouldn't even be considered...

[purebalance]

Okay, bagging french fries? I agree.



But I'm not sure what else it could do. I don't think it could run the cash register.

Ummm they already have self scan registers at grocery stores and CVS and the like. Hell some fast food already have kiosks to order your food and I'm pretty sure you pay at those.

[Al Gorefiend]

I'm not sure you noticed it, but our society heavily values money of scientific and technological progress. Big business has been boycotting technological research for a long time and they'll only keep on doing more of it, just look at the oil industry that pumps billions into buying up or boycotting alternative energy and advanced motors tech.

Ofc big oil companies boycott alternative energy, they'd lose all their money!

The analogy doesn't fit here though, implying fast food workers aren't being produced by a mass conglomerate with special interest in keeping robots out.

[Deleted]

I think that's the key part of the statement there...
It's also the reason people complain about people "taking their jobs" ...

Maybe if those $15 an hour workers took a little pride and made themselves a bit more efficient it wouldn't even be considered...

the $15 an hour thing isn't really much of an issue, even if they continues to be paid low, robots would still work out cheaper in the long run, even more so with the fact robots for simple jobs (like McDonalds) will only get cheaper over time

[carlos9949]

This CEO is a lie when he says that robots will be a cheaper option, the maintenance time of the robot, the spare parts, and the qualified labor to keep the robot running will be more expensive, he is just saying nonsense things to trye to avoid to paid 15$ minimum waige.

[purebalance]

With a much simplified menu, maybe.

Not at all. It's just like ordering online for things. Hell I prefer ordering my Chipotle online because they don't ask you for everything when you order in the store where if I order online I can just put everything on the menu that won't increase the charge in my bowl.

[Triskell]

Okay, bagging french fries? I agree.



But I'm not sure what else it could do. I don't think it could run the cash register.

LOL..... I hope that was a joke.

You could easily get computers and robotics to run an entire McDonalds location with only minimal human assistance. In fact I think I read about just such a pilot project by some burger joint in CA. Skynet is real.........

[Xeones]

I think that's the key part of the statement there...
It's also the reason people complain about people "taking their jobs" ...

Maybe if those $15 an hour workers took a little pride and made themselves a bit more efficient it wouldn't even be considered...

It's going to be considered no matter what.

[Lady Dragonheart]

When it comes to ordering, I prefer a kiosk versus talking to a person. However, I understand the fear of downsizing unskilled jobs (even if it is at the hiring of minor skilled tech workers for maintenance, programming/upgrading and monitoring these new robots and kiosks).

[Sylreick]

Anything for the profits, just hope they realize what's going to happen when droves of people suddenly out of work stop shopping there.

[IIamaKing]

Okay, bagging french fries? I agree.



But I'm not sure what else it could do. I don't think it could run the cash register.

Huh? where have you been, every store has self check outs around me.


OT, this was going to happen 15$ an hour or not.

[Barnabas]

With a much simplified menu, maybe.

No there is a robot that can make 400 hamburgers an hour. It costs 25,000 usd. There are frying machines that are robots also. Drink machines exist also. There isn't much to it.

[Al Gorefiend]

See, I don't know about you guys, but I eagerly await the day I can order a fresh meal on the Internet, have it be prepared that instant by a group of robotic chefs, then delivered to me in a self-driving car.

The future is happening, and mass laziness too.

[derpkitteh]

get that shit automated as fast as possible. wipe out all the "low skill" jobs with automation so we can finally get a basic income.

[Lady Dragonheart]

I understand how this can affect people, losing their jobs and all, but I'd much rather have robots working in Fast Food establishments. The employees mess orders ups, don't follow proper hygiene rules and mess with people's food. I know they'll probably still have actual human employees there to make sure everything goes smoothly, but I welcome the day when robots just completely run it.

I agree with this. The margin of error (some grievously so) is far too high for the majority of fast food places. :|