Posts Tagged ‘2019’

What the future may bring…

Thursday, May 14th, 2009

Microsoft Labs vision 2019


Video: Future Vision Montage

For a little perspective,  you may have seen these AT&T ads back in the 90s;

How many of those objects do you now use every day?

It’s good to be alive.  The last 100 years will pale in comparison to the next 20.

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UPDATE 2:56 pm:

Have any of you read “The Robotic Nation” by Marshall Brain?  It is a good read if you haven’t.   Basically it is an essay written a few years ago on the decline of a labor driven society.  Since the dawn of man we have been labor driven.   50 years from now that may no longer be the case, and those without computing / technology skills will be left in the dark.

A great example is what is happening to grocery stores around the country.   You have all seen those quick checkout lanes.   One person standing at a station controlling 4-8 registers.     One person now doing the jobs of 8 people.   8 people at EACH store are either out of a job or have moved on to a more productive use of their skills.    I wonder how much money that has saved the chains?  It’s the ole “one olive method” of business at it’s finest.   You know the story…  An olive company looking to make cuts , decided that by taking 1 olive out of each jar they would save a million dollars.   8 people less they have to pay wages, health care, workman’s comp, etc.

I was in the grocery store shopping one night at 2-3am and was in and out in less than 10 mins. I may have passed a stock boy or two but did not interact with a single person. Went to the quick lanes, (the only open) paid for my items and left. It really got me thinking more about this “Robotic Nation” we are on the verge of becoming.

Imagine when they perfect the RFID technology and fit every item in the store with one. Your money will be on one of those cards seen in the 1st video and you will walk into a store employed by no one. You will swipe your card on a grocery cart and each item put in will automatically be deducted from your funds. The front doors will be equipped with various sensors to prevent shop lifting, and theoretically all you need are maybe 2 posted human guards. Robotic systems will handle all the stocking. When they run out of an item, the store computer will alert these robotics and be restocked within minutes.

Grocery stores everywhere will replace it’s 200+ human employees with a handful of security guards and an IT specialist. Although, the security guards probably don’t have much time left either.

Safeway has 1700 stores. 1700 x 200 = 340,000 people looking for new jobs with little or no new skills. And that is just 1 retailer in 1 industry.

If you have kids, you would be wise to steer them into some sort of technology related field. Because labor driven work is going to be few and far between.

If you think I am crazy… Ask one of those 8 people who no longer work a grocery checkout line. Or the automobile line employees who were laid off in the 70s/80s due to machine replacements.

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