Amazon Go: Retail Stores With No Checkouts

There goes my job. Thanks innovation.

 

The future is scary.

 

Scary but really cool.

 

rise of the machines.

 

really curious, and a bit worried, for how this turns out.

 

BUT HOW DO THE BULLETS IN WESTWORLD WORK?!?

 

All those rotten kids will sneak stuff into their parents cart...
But really, as curious as I am about how this works, i hate that this will once again be another inovation to hurt jobs.

 

can't wait to check this out when i move back to Seattle.

 

they implemented this in ALL seattle stores! just walk in and walk out with your stuff! tell them arry sent ya

 

just kidding, don't do that. i won't bail you out.

 

How does it work if someone steals somebody else's phone with the Amazon app already signed in? They could just walk in, take stuff and walk out, then the other person would get the bill on their phone. Right? I'm sure there are safeguards in place and I'm sure there are cameras all over the store, just wondering, is all.

Either way, this is really cool. I'm glad there's not one around here though, it would be hard for me to not walk out with all the stuff I want but don't need!

 

The impact of automation on the economy is frightening. So many of these innovations offer no benefits except to lower corporate operating costs, and I don't anticipate we'll see the benefits in the cost of living either. So once you add up the job losses from freight delivery, service sector roles, warehousing and distribution, manufacturing, etc., you've got huge potential for skyrocketing unemployment and bigger impacts on the economy.

 

Before everyone gets all Luddite on this, of course innovation reduces costs to business by cutting labour - that's the only reason they invest in it. Amazon isn't just doing this for kicks. Profit drives (mostly) everything. Also, reduced costs make businesses more competitive so I bet we'll see lower costs at stores. I also bet new jobs will open up (they always do), and the government is already holding meetings on what to do about AI-induced unemployment. I'm crossing my fingers for universal basic income, considering it's less partisan than welfare. Self-driving cars are on the way too so they better get a move on.

 

I get there's legitimate concerns (ie potential rise in unemployement) but c'mon, chill with the negativity. This stuff has been precedented for years. It's still generally good for businesses and customers at least. There's also plenty of new job sectors opening up with the rise of technology.

 

I, for one, will happily embrace the arrival of our robot overlords.

 

I'm willing to bet customers that don't have to wait in a line see a benefit as well.

 

They still need people in there to stock the store, salespeople to answer questions, etc.
The only jobs lost here are people at the actual checkout, which in a store that size is probably only one or two people, who are most likely the same people doing the other tasks.

 

I believe, in the not overly distant future, Wall-E predicted the way shit is going.

 

I'm kind of split on how I feel about this. So damn easy and convenient, however, I do agree that it is setting a precedent for the future workforce of the world. In many ways, we've gotten so much lazier - and that isn't always a bad thing, as long as we're being productive members of society in other ways.

 

Sorry, I meant that post more broadly than just to these stores, which you're right, certainly can improve shopper convenience, and I'm definitely not opposed to innovation in the retail experience.
Bigger picture though, automation has the potential to eliminate millions of jobs, and I don't think we're prepared for what that could mean, and sometimes I fear the benefits of large-scale automation will not possibly outweigh the societal costs.