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What I don't understand is why the "Gods" don't say "No we won't train robots to do our jobs."

One of the biggest hurdles to automation in general - especially where replacing skilled workers is concerned - is in teaching (algorithmically or otherwise) the machine to replicate what the skilled worker is doing.

If there really is the existential crisis of "machines taking our jobs" then why are the robot trainers not pushing back? Isn't is immediately clear what they are doing?

I personally think everything should be automated with no mandatory human inputs for the majority of tasks - but that is hundreds of years away if ever. The key sticking point though is whether people will be willing to be "the last human to hold this job."




At least in Toyota, there seems to be no existential crisis of machines taking over our jobs. What the article mentions is just a strategy to improve quality and encourage innovation. These people are not particularly worried about teaching the machine to imitate the skilled worker; they're too busy figuring out what the skilled worker should be doing in the first place.

Also, gods of engineering are probably different from other gods. Like passionate programmers, they're having too much fun making machines perform new and exciting tasks.


As I understood it, under this plan there won't be a 'last human' because...kaizan...the humans will always be improving and innovating.

...Until profits are in danger and you have a conservative board. Then you might see the last human, shortly followed by corporate irrelevancy.


Would you rather program robots, or work on a car assembly line?


Programmers don't seem to have a problem automating aspects of their own jobs. Efficiency for it's own sake is a motivation.




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