this post was submitted on 15 Jan 2024
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[–] [email protected] 17 points 11 months ago (2 children)

The self check out was supposed to decrease the amount of cashiers the store would have to use so they wouldn't have to pay so many cashiers.

They're a detriment to society.

[–] [email protected] 26 points 11 months ago (5 children)

Why? Seems like a win for everyone. The end goal should be to eliminate all jobs so we dan spend our time doing things we enjoy.

[–] [email protected] 30 points 11 months ago

The job hasn't been eliminated. You are just the one doing it now. The only benefit is that the store doesn't need to pay you.

[–] [email protected] 11 points 11 months ago

You're right, it should be, but greedy CEOs will find a way to make us all still have to have jobs so they can see us toil. Remember, rich have to have something to make themselves feel above us plebeians.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Not a win for the shopper, who now has to scan and bag their own items. Not a win for the now laid-off cashier who is unemployed. Only a win for the company, which has gained free labor.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 11 months ago (2 children)

Oh no, bagging your own items. I already had to do that because we don’t have demeaning jobs like that on this side of the pond.

Massive win for me as a shopper as the self checkout is much faster and doesn’t require human interaction.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 11 months ago

I'm sure the baggers would rather be employed rather than laid off. I'd rather have the money go to a bagger than the CEO's pockets.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 11 months ago

I'm quite sure I'd go mental over in the US as I very much doubt a bagger can tetris my backpack as well as me.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago)

Yeah, you know, this is mostly my view on AI. Eliminate jobs! But they’re not going to ditch capitalism, so losing jobs doesn’t mean no work. It means people suffer and starve. Because businesses want us to have money, they just don’t want to pay us that money. I mean, without money, we wouldn’t buy their shit. And eliminating jobs (“costs”) means keeping more of the money for themselves. And more money for themselves means more power and sway over policy.

Can you ever foresee a future in which the world is filled with businesses hiring no one, but people still having money via UBI or however they would arrange to keep capitalism afloat through the continuous circulation of money? The more jobs they cut early, the more money they have to fight the tax increase that UBI would necessitate (in this hypothetical mostly jobless society). If we can’t secure more power in a system that actually values human life, AI and increasing automation will only lead to us, the working class, suffering and dying while the baron class keeps amassing power and money.

In short, capitalism and full automation/AI are incompatible with human life.

(I mean, capitalism is incompatible with human life. But we need a complete overhaul of the entire concept of modern life itself before we allow capitalism to go on automating. It only spells disaster for us—even though it could mean utopia. Capitalism will not let utopia exist because it’s not generating profits.)

[–] [email protected] 2 points 11 months ago

You're right! There should be no jobs!

[–] [email protected] 13 points 11 months ago (1 children)

nope. hate dealing with a cashier, never going back. If I'm grabbing an item or two, I can be out in like 2 minutes. Most places I don't even have to touch the screen or fiddle with a card reader. scan scan, tap phone, I'm out! even at wallmart you can finish a transaction without pushing anything.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 11 months ago (1 children)

scan scan, tap phone,

Do we tell him?

[–] [email protected] 6 points 11 months ago