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440 points pseudolus | 1 comments | | HN request time: 0s | source
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ArtTimeInvestor ◴[] No.45053123[source]
Every day when I am out in the city, I am amazed by how many jobs we have NOT managed to replace with AI yet.

For example, cashiers. There are still many people spending their lives dragging items over a scanner, reading a number from a screen, holding out their hand for the customer to put money in, and then sorting the coins into boxes.

How hard can it be to automate that?

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Spivak ◴[] No.45053132[source]
You mean ordering kiosks and self-checkout machines? We have automated it, it's just not everywhere has implemented it.

The one I'm desperately waiting for is serverless restaurants—food halls already do it but I want it everywhere. Just let me sit down, put an order into the kitchen, pick it up myself. I promise I can walk 20 feet and fill my own drink cup.

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slipperydippery ◴[] No.45054908[source]
Self check-out machines aren't automation.
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Spivak ◴[] No.45056849[source]
There used to be two humans standing at the cash register, now because of software, automatic change machines, and cameras there is only one. One of those humans' jobs got automated.

Call it what you like but replacing the work of humans one for one is difficult and usually not necessary. Reformulating the problem to one that machines can solve is basically the whole game. You don't need a robot front desk worker to greet you, you just need a tablet to do your check in.

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slipperydippery ◴[] No.45057956{3}[source]
I do their work. No work got automated.
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1. Spivak ◴[] No.45063909{4}[source]
Do you consider all forms of "self-service" to not be automation of a job that previously required an additional human?

Like checking in at the airport via kiosk/app for example. Do you consider that to be "doing the work" of the desk clerk? Or say ordering at a restaurant by scanning a QR code, in both cases I have to look at the menu, decide what I want, and input my order into a system. But with the QR code there's no longer a human necessary.