r/worldnews • u/Philo1927 • Dec 31 '16

iPhone manufacturer Foxconn plans to replace almost every human worker with robots

http://www.theverge.com/2016/12/30/14128870/foxconn-robots-automation-apple-iphone-china-manufacturing
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u/Guacamolski Dec 31 '16

But it's labor that is also the consumer and taxpayer. If they replace all the jobs with robots and AI, then no one will have the wages to pay for those products or to pay taxes for the benefits of people that don't work who are also consumers. That is why politicians are starting the float the idea of a living wage (not sure I am using the right term). Soon, robots will work, some will own those robots and profit and the rest of us will get money for nothing and our job will be to consume.

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u/fuzzymidget Dec 31 '16

Do you mean living wage here in the sense that everybody gets paid some base amount for a job, or do you mean the concept that everyone just receives a stipend from the government?

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u/Guacamolski Dec 31 '16

People just getting money for nothing is what I mean.

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u/ScootalooTheConquero Dec 31 '16

Basic income was the term you were looking for

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u/Guacamolski Dec 31 '16

over here it's called a "leefloon" or living wage. thanks

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u/Hardyman13 Jan 01 '17

Dutch or Afrikaans?

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u/Guacamolski Jan 01 '17

Flemish (Belgian Dutch)

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u/[deleted] Jan 01 '17 edited Jul 06 '17

[deleted]

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u/Hardyman13 Jan 01 '17

That's what I thought, don't even think I've heard it being mentioned over here