4um: There are now 260,000 robots working in U.S. factories

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Title: There are now 260,000 robots working in U.S. factories
Source: [None]
URL Source: http://www.marketwatch.com/story/th ... ing-in-us-factories-2016-02-10
Published: Feb 10, 2016
Author: Staff
Post Date: 2016-02-10 15:22:46 by Horse
Keywords: None
Views: 69
Comments: 11

There are now more than 260,000 robots working in U.S. factories. Orders and shipments for robots in North America set new records in 2015, according to industry trade group Robotic Industries Association. A total of 31,464 robots, valued at a combined $1.8 billion, were ordered from North American companies last year, marking a 14% increase in units and an 11% increase in value year-over-year. Shipments rose 10% over 2014 to 28,049 units. The biggest increase in robot orders came from buyers in the automotive, semiconductor and electronics industries, according to the trade group. The most popular jobs for these robots were industrial, including coating and dispensing, material handling and spot welding.
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#1. To: Horse (#0)
That is about $57,000 each. And, since almost 24/7 more than 4 times a human's 40 hour week, that is less than minimum wage for one year and after that it is just maintenance and upkeep.
As computers get faster and cheaper so do the capabilities and cost of robots. If Moore's law holds up, in 20 years, robots will replace most low skilled and low wage humans.

DWornock posted on 2016-02-10 16:47:55 ET Reply Untrace Trace Private Reply
#2. To: DWornock (#1)
How long will it be until they're taxed to replace the lost income and fica taxes?

Lod posted on 2016-02-10 17:04:58 ET Reply Untrace Trace Private Reply
#11. To: Lod (#2)
How long will it be until they're (robots are) taxed to replace the lost income and fica taxes?

I don't know. Always before when workers and others complained about new technology replacing workers and eliminating jobs, the workers always found new jobs in other areas and their productivity increased. However, I am not sure that will be the case this time because if Moore's laws holds up in twenty years computers and therefore robots will have human level intelligence and robots, like humans, will be multi-tasked.
Therefore, if robots can do what low wage humans can do and do it faster, cheaper, and better, it seems to me that low skilled workers will have to work for only a fraction of minimum wage or else be unemployed. Nevertheless, robots may be taxed to make them far more expensive so that low skilled humans can be hired. Or else, the taxes will be used to provide food, clothing, and shelter for unemployed humans.

DWornock posted on 2016-02-11 19:51:34 ET Reply Untrace Trace Private Reply
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