Foxconn to replace workers with 1 million robots in 3 years

[saaya]

I'm done buying foxconn products. If apple continues to use foxconn to produce their products as well I will boycott them as well.

Minor foxconn parts used by other board manufacurers and in electronics I can deal with, I suppose.

cause they use robots? 0_o
you might as well dig a hole and sit in it all day if you want to boycott products made by robots/machines

in case you want to boycott foxconn only, the list of gadget is pretty long...
cisco
hp
acer
dell
sony
all home gaming consoles
most portable gaming consoles
most mp3 players
etc etc etc...

[sin0822]

Intel boards are deff made by foxconn, but then again which of us ever buys Intel boards?

I honestly believe that the future will all be robots, yet while this thought sits alright in my mind, the thought of robots taking over and displacing humans doesn't. I just hope AI doesn't get better as time moves on, or then our military will be all AI based, as that is the real and future goal of the military, as humans aren't as perfect as machines at making cruel decisions. That movie terminator where this happened, is very much like real life.

I already expect my motherboards to be partially made by a machine anyways, its just something you expect of electronics with 10,000 SMD components. I just hope those ppl displaced will find some other works.

[Muunsyr]

Stupid move.

Yes its better for the profit of some companies, but look at the so called western world where it got us when we got rid of the jobs and outsourced everything to China, handing jobs over to robots will have the same result for the Chinese as it had for us when we outsourced to China, some imaginary economic growth followed by the realization that it was imaginary resulting in the bubble bursting.

-Snip (and well explained BTW)-

At the end of the day it is always unfortunate to hear about people who are expected to lose jobs. From a basic human perspective it sucks. But it's also one of those facts of life. Instructing companies to stay less competitive to keep people employed is not a long-term solution, as eventually the company is doomed to feel the pinch and get beaten by competition, at which point everyone loses their job, and probably without nearly so much notice. I've been there, and as much as it sucks it's really part of the human condition as we have created it.

Of course there is the flip side to consider; if Foxconn are getting robots because they are cheaper than people, and China is still the largest, cheapest (human) workforce available, then the price of robots has dropped/the cost of workers has increased. Which may very well mean that we will see an increase of manufacturing in other countries again. Of course this wont happen overnight, but it may mean a shift to making products closer to where they are sold/used, thus reducing the cost of shipping also.

Take what you will from this thought, but bear in mind that I am no economist.

Muunsyr

[ChaosMinionX]

Intel boards are deff made by foxconn, but then again which of us ever buys Intel boards?

Hey now, let us not forget about the badaxe days

[[XC] Oj101]

Intel boards are deff made by foxconn, but then again which of us ever buys Intel boards?

Anyone looking for stability over features?

[XSAlliN]

I approve this - rather they use robots instead of using humans and threat them like robots.

[Origin_Unknown]

Way to tell your staff how valuable they are and how you apreciate the skill and experience.

The morale of the staff must be rock bottom - then again that morale will be none-existant when robot's take over

[Cooper]

Way to tell your staff how valuable they are and how you apreciate the skill and experience.

The morale of the staff must be rock bottom - then again that morale will be none-existant when robot's take over

You do realize that this is will improve quality, efficiency and lower down the costs in a long run offering better and cheaper products on the market ?
Going by your logic we should abandon all technical progress simply cos it takes jobs away from humans. Guess what - it doesn't. It replaces the necessity in cheap dumb labor with knowledgeable vacancies.

[AbortRetryFail?]

or it could be from the rising wages and the global push (including from in china) for a minimum wage in china. the slave factories are also paying alot less than non skilled city work is now so as china comes up its becoming more viable for services/skilled labor instead of just unskilled crap work.

Pretty much this.

The "unskilled crap work" as you put it is now moving beyond China to even cheaper pastures.

[Origin_Unknown]

You do realize that this is will improve quality, efficiency and lower down the costs in a long run offering better and cheaper products on the market ?
Going by your logic we should abandon all technical progress simply cos it takes jobs away from humans. Guess what - it doesn't. It replaces the necessity in cheap dumb labor with knowledgeable vacancies.

woah - slow down cheif. Guess what? who's actually going to be able to buy the stuff when everyone in a job such as this is replaced with a robot? -like lemmings the rest will follow.

what's to say that your job isn't going to be replaced by a robot at some stage? will it be a case of "oh well at least we didn't abandon all technical progress" ?

[naokaji]

I approve this - rather they use robots instead of using humans and threat them like robots.

People buy stuff made in factories, not robots, so how do you imagine are the millions of unemployed people who lost their jobs cause they where replaced by robots going to pay money for the products?

[Cooper]

woah - slow down cheif. Guess what? who's actually going to be able to buy the stuff when everyone in a job such as this is replaced with a robot? -like lemmings the rest will follow.

what's to say that your job isn't going to be replaced by a robot at some stage? will it be a case of "oh well at least we didn't abandon all technical progress" ?

Since when business is about people ? Get real. Get a degree and continue following the progress so not to remain on a sidewalk. That is competition and open market.

[Origin_Unknown]

Since when business is about people ? Get real. Get a degree and continue following the progress so not to remain on a sidewalk. That is competition and open market.

Business and people are synonymous - without one, the other does not exist so perhaps you should 'get real'. I guess we could add a 3rd into that- if people don't work, thus not being paid, who buys the products of the companies that decided to cast off a human workforce in favor of a robot?

I liked how you ignored the point about you being on the 'sidewalk' if your job was taken by robots / AI.

[chinaguy]

As someone who now lives and works in China maybe I can shed some light on what is going. The whole Chinese manufactoring sector is jumping a generation in its technology. For example my wife has just spent a week in the USA visiting trade fares getting ready for her company to make a push into the American market. You will have never heard of the company but it has a 16 Billion US Dollar turn over here in Aisa.

The actory she now works in is an old 1950s tractor plant and it has some old propaganda posters on the wall from the 60s, I just might have to liberate as the factory is been moved. The new site is a multi billion US Dollar Science and Technology site built on the outskirts of Shanghai, it looks like something out of Logan Run film set, complete with overhead mono rail system.

Its all state of the art robotics and computer CAM systems ALL BUILT AND DESIGNED in China as they have Trillions of US Dollars to spend from all the cheap exports China has made.

High tech jobs will be created to service the new industries and not the type that simply put 6 screws into a motherboard. China no longer whats factories with cheap unskilled jobs, they now what the high skills and white collar jobs that go with it. China is putting its Billions of US Dollars into factories and the west is putting its money to support bankrupt banks. I leave it up to you to judge what is the best way to spend your money.

How many high skilled jobs does Apple have in America, I should imagine most Apple jobs are shop assistance and accountants. All the manufacturing is done in China. After following someone elses designs for 30 years you can build up your own skill base and start your own companies.

China is going High Tech.

[Cooper]

Business and people are synonymous - without one, the other does not exist so perhaps you should 'get real'. I guess we could add a 3rd into that- if people don't work, thus not being paid, who buys the products of the companies that decided to cast off a human workforce in favor of a robot?

I liked how you ignored the point about you being on the 'sidewalk' if your job was taken by robots / AI.

I don't moan and cry about this thing. We not living in socialist utopia and never were. If your skill set becomes obsolete - you will loose job. Period.
Only way is to follow the trends and learn continually to keep up with job offerings.

[chinaguy]

I don't moan and cry about this thing. We not living in socialist utopia and never were. If your skill set becomes obsolete - you will loose job. Period.
Only way is to follow the trends and learn continually to keep up with job offerings.

But you need the opotunity to get a job in the first place. If your country has no jobs to offer, where are you going to get a job. Great Britain and America where at the top of their power when they where the factories of the world. Great Britain up to the 2nd WW and America up the end of the 80s. China is now the export king of the world!

[FischOderAal]

[...]

Good to see things are moving in China. Hopefully this will improve the standard of life of every chinese in the long run, not only the fortunate few.

The actory she now works in is an old 1950s tractor plant and it has some old propaganda posters on the wall from the 60s, I just might have to liberate as the factory is been moved.

Could you "liberate" some posters? Would love me some Chinese propaganda posters

But you need the opotunity to get a job in the first place. If your country has no jobs to offer, where are you going to get a job. Great Britain and America where at the top of their power when they where the factories of the world. Great Britain up to the 2nd WW and America up the end of the 80s. China is now the export king of the world!

We'll see about that :p I'm currently writing my master's thesis and then I'll work hard to get that crown back to Germany

[SMTB1963]

It also makes it easier for the accounting department to account for costs.

It will almost certainly be harder on Foxconn's accounting department during the transition. Whether or not it will be easier (read: "lower cost") after the transition depends on many different factors. Either way, I seriously doubt that any increase/decrease in accounting department overhead was material to their decision to automate - given the scale of this initiative.

Get a degree and continue following the progress so not to remain on a sidewalk.

Probably not an option for the majority of the workers about to be displaced...



EDIT: I wonder what changes will be in store for this page?

[Wrench]

Well if they automate their factories Chinese will loose their comparative advantage which it has with cheap and abundant labour. They will start moving factories back to North America or a place where its cheaper then chine like Vietnam, Cambodia etc. I also lived in asia 5 years and frankly Asians wouldn't give a flying rats ass if we all died the disappeared from the face of the earth, because we are not Chinese, Koreans, Japanese etc. Plenty of scandals that went unpunished in China over tainted products that killed people. I went to a factory that assembled large Tanks for Fish Farming they had a 5 tonne tank propped up by bunch of 2by4's and a guy welding under and I asked isn't that dangerous, the supervisor said to me their is lots of available labour. I also dealt with Chinese engineers and trust me when I say don't trust them. I had to film all meetings because if I didn't documentation got forged or changed after meetings. I hope people start realizing that RD is the future growth, I also hope people stop being preoccupied with buying more to stuff in their homes and choose things that are locally made.

[Dainas]

Anyone looking for stability over features?

Ironic since Intel boards are by far built worse and burn out more often than even budget brands due to shoddy components. They seriously rate about the same as PCChips era ECS to this day.

They are just for people to ignorant to shop around and want something to match the processor brand. Kinda like every person I know who once had one and didn't overclock at all and yet still had their intel board burn out, learning along the way why intel are the worse of the worse when it comes to customer support among boards as well. Hardly suprising Foxconn is their main OEM. Too bad robots wont fix it because its a matter of shoddy caps and other cost cutting and not shoddy assembly.

[UNTAMED]

someone has to make\install the robots\building reno's , just another chain of production for someones non foxccon business that has employee's.

[Origin_Unknown]

I don't moan and cry about this thing. We not living in socialist utopia and never were. If your skill set becomes obsolete - you will loose job. Period.
Only way is to follow the trends and learn continually to keep up with job offerings.

are you implying that I am crying over such things? - I'm pointing out the obvious.

Also, I'm not sure about the location thing but your comments really come across a bit arrogant.

[XSAlliN]

People buy stuff made in factories, not robots, so how do you imagine are the millions of unemployed people who lost their jobs cause they where replaced by robots going to pay money for the products?

Actually no, but to know this you have to be aware that there are billions of people that don't live in your world. People Working 12 hours a day (sometimes even weekends) for 200 $/month - don't have the luxury to spent them on iPads, iPhones and other gadgets like that... those money are barley enough for the survival of their families.

Generally speaking (regarding a distant future perhaps) - yes, eventually on most jobs that imply physical work people will be replaced with robots but the rest is unclear since there many possible scenarios like:

- a genocide involving all people declared parasites for that system... this is the worst case scenario but it's possible (did happened in the past - and the Nazi had no serious reasons).
- the financial system (as in money) will be declared null, as in - the end of it... which is the only way we can evolve, current boundaries and the mail goal for most people being financially related. Unfortunately this is something for which we might need another war to get there - a war with the system and those few that rule it and have enslaved us in this system since birth.

[El Mano]

But you need the opotunity to get a job in the first place. If your country has no jobs to offer, where are you going to get a job.

And what will China do when millions of people lose their jobs?

The measure of your success will not be how much money can you make but how well can you adapt your society from a third world economy to a technological production scheme.
So far China has done awfully: it's the most polluted country in the world, you don't have enough energy, food is so contaminated that glows in the dark, and millions still live under poverty standards.

And still you are about to replace workers with robots, a movement that might drop prices but will increase unemployment.

[sin0822]

Anyone looking for stability over features?

And I wouldn't get that from lets say asus over a foxconn board?

I think most boards are built for stability over anything else, that is a motherboards purpose no? to connect all of the other components and let them work in unison? you have to be stable for that to happen. The fact is board built for OC are probably much better built than those which aren't.