A robot sold us a Chris Cornell CD at Best Buy

We went to Best Buy to buy a CD and never talked to a human being. Instead, a computer and robot named Chloe sold us a CD... When I walked into Best Buy in Chelsea recently to get Chris Cornell's latest album ("Higher Truth" -- it's pretty good), I was surprised to see a row of ATM-like kiosks in front of a glassed-in compartment housing a yellow robot. That robot's name is Chloe. And its job is to sell you music, movies, games, and accessories.

[video=youtube;rxTQxo6gKd4]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rxTQxo6gKd4&feature=youtu.be[/video]


fox5ny.com/news/30339183-story

Looks like companies are getting on board with the idea of replacing low skilled jobs with robots. It's only a matter of time before we have zero public facing employees at a lot of these places. While I understand the reasons for automation, I also dread the world we are creating. I'm a knowledge worker but have no illusions that my job will never be done by a robot I have enough skills that I can do something else but what about the masses who can't. We haven't seen anything compared to the social unrest that is coming from the current rush to robots. Personally I prefer the pimple faced kid, sure they aren't as efficient as a robot but neither was I when I was just starting out and looking for a chance. Hell I'm still not as efficient as a robot, after all I'm only human.

What are your thoughts?

 

Its a direct result of the push for higher minimum wages. The same thing happened in Europe after some countries pushed significantly higher minimum wages. Fast food restaurants replaced cashiers with kiosks where you could order and pay and the only people working were back in the kitchen. People here poo pooed the idea so I just show them a pic of the kiosks in Europe.

 

No minimum wage worries... no healthcare costs... Japanese machines delivering Chinese made goods....

Will be seeing a lot more of these no-wage workers doing min-wage jobs.

 

corporations only care about the bottom line earnings, technology is there new slave source of productivity and humans are expendable. the industrial revolution replace farming jobs to factory line work, now factory and transportation, sales military are going to be replace by robotics and nothing is being created to replace those mass jobs. only mass unemployment and descent and riots is in the future, if this trend continues.

 

It's an experiment to save wages, but I don't think it will catch on. Robots are not good dealing with irrational customers, and there's a lot of those. Once they find they can't change their order at the last second, or the robot won't listen to their rants, they'll go back to the place where they can be served by humans.

 

Kind of slow compared to the robot that serves me a soda LOL

 

I'm part owner of several multinationals, very small owner but part owner none the less. But I think I'm in the minority when it comes to worrying about the future of our nations citizens. Part of responsible ownership is responsible to the community you call home. When most jobs are done by robots what kind of nation will this be? Who wants to drive by street after street after street of decrepit houses? Sure it is easy to ignore from through the tinted glass of a limo but at some point it will effect even the wealthiest among us.
You're right about the violence, blood will be spilled and lots of it.

 

Doubtful, especially when you take into account online sales on how amazon is starting to dominate the market.

 

Amazon has the advantage that people don't have to lift their lazy asses out of the chair. That is a big problem, but a different one.
But once you leave the house and actively go shopping, I believe in the long run customers will prefer to talk to real people.

 

Considering most people I know prefer to use the self checkouts at the grocery store now that they worked the kinks out, I don't think that will be the case.

 

We are all replaceable, with grass hut dwellers or electronic counterparts, the country club dwellers will have their utopia and the majority will be reduced to third world status.

More workers competing for the higher wage jobs will turn them into the new minimum wage jobs, and eventually they too will be replaced with robots for the most part.

 

Robots will create a whole new generation of Luddites.

We must remain resolute and tell them to (*)(*)(*)(*) off for the progress of civilization.

 

why do you need a pimple faced kid? you know what music you like. what you want to purchase. do you need a pimpled face kid to do that for you?
how many minutes do you waste looking for the CD you want flipping through countless other CDs look for it?
then of coarse you are not always sure what section it will be in, and then those CDs get mixed up because they aren't always put back in the same place if the shopper before you picked it up looked at it a put it back in the wrong spot
I've been in big CD stores the ones with the pimple faced kids. hours wasted looking for a particular CD finally getting frustrated. asked one of those pimple faced kids he doesn't know he looks it up on the store computer which claims he has one goes to were it supposed to be at and there is none and the kids response it probably got put in the wrong spot and walks away

with that robot system none of that wasted time would happen

and with that robot system Im sure you will be able to sample the music right there at the selection screen many times I have bought a CD because I liked the one song i heard on the radio to find out once I get home that is the only good song on the CD with that robot system you can sample all the songs to make sure your not buying a one hit wonder

it is a win win loss
a win for the consumer a win for the store owner but a loss for the unskilled jobless

 

Checkmate. I prefer them myself.

 

they have never trusted their cashiers, the security here checks everyone's receipts before they can leave the store

I don't shop at self service cashiers, if I wanted that I would order on-line

.

 

That's the kind of employee you can very easily replace by a machine and the customer is better off.
For that reason I only buy my records at an old-timey record store where you get a cup of coffee while you're browsing.

 

Yep. If I was young I'd seek training in robot technology (programming & mechanical maintenance). I've actually designed packaging lines which utilize robots & they work damn well, but when they malfuction of need programming changes the plants don't employ people who can do it so they need to bring in outside technicians ($$$). Nice gig, and the market is growing by leaps & bounds.

 

Robots just want a better life doing jobs Americans won't do. Do not deport them.

 

This is just my opinion but I don't think Chloe would be that knowledgeable about the trends in music that I like.

 

For starters I used to be that pimple faced kid who needed a few lessons in customer service and general work attitude. I maybe in the minority here but most of the time when I go shopping, I'm out wasting time anyway. Plus I've had pimple faced employees turn me onto some good music, movies, food, places to visit, etc. Today it's cds tomorrow it's advertising executives and CEOs, because even CEOs are replaceable with robots. When everyone is replaced by robots who will buy the crap they produce? Eventually robots will design and build robots, robots will fix other robots and then what? So much for that robotics degree. Architects, engineers, there is a big long list of over paid employees the board of directors can't wait to replace. I bet even your job will be taken by a robot.

 

Good points......

 

I think you're right about the personal interaction.
But... Amazon has more than just laziness covered... they also have pricing.

What I'm not sure about (even though I would bet this robot is just a test), is that the stores will care enough to get rid of them just because people want humans. I am sure there is a human standing by to answer questions of those who are using this robot. I don't think they're lacking the human interaction.

But when in some cities you're the only half-decent CD selection in town... what are people gonna do, go to Walmart, Target? Aren't CD stores, for the most part, a thing of the past ?

Downloading and online sales have stomped the brick and mortar stores. Sad... but true.
There is hardly anyone left.

 

You think someone on the Geek Squad is going to be more capable ?

 

As said, online shopping is competing hard with brick and mortar. Most people will prefer to deal with people, but robots wil find their niche working in the warehouses. For 10-15 years, Mary Kay has used an automated warehouse to unload/load their trucks and organize and stock their warehouse. They only have maintenance and cleaning people working there. They move slower than humans, but they make fewer mistakes, don't make overtime, and don't call in sick.

 

Eventually the cleaning and maintenance will be done by robots as well. Factories will be designed, built, run and maintained by robots. What will people do when there is no work for them to do? Will those who have concentrated the gold be willing to feed those who have nothing? Or will they let them die because they have a new work force to support their own needs?