General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Amazon on Monday unveiled the latest plan to automate American workers out of existence [View all]metalbot
(1,058 posts)It's about where the future is going and what the herd is collectively willing to do about it.
If we as a society value the interactions that we have with humans when we shop, then we'll pay a premium to shop with humans. If we don't value that, or if we value it at less than we value potential savings, we'll shop with robots. At some point, if not enough people value the human interaction, then the human interaction won't be an option due to insufficient demand.
Personally, I don't value human interaction when shopping. I'd rather go to a website, order what I want, and have it delivered, preferably by someone I don't have to talk to. On the other hand, I'm not unsympathetic to the notion that people need jobs, and that what I'm doing hurts those jobs. The only logical solution is to support the idea of universal income, under which my ethical dilemma is partially solved.