Automation has made it possible to produce so many objects — from bread to shoes — without the intervention of human hands (assuming that pressing a button doesn’t count). What things do you still prefer in their traditional, handmade version?)
Fiction:
The huge metal exoskeleton looked at him. His red LED eyes could be surmised at being bloodshot. And his gargantuan arms had lifted a SUV off the ground. The internal mechanisms of the automation seemed to sound more and more like ragged breaths. Andrew gulped.
And as suddenly as that the automation went inanimate. The SUV still lifted off the ground by at least ten feet, the automation turned off. Andrew was confused. The automation shouldn’t be turned off now, not when another needs to go below the SUV and repair it.
“Heinous things aren’t these” Shawn called from behind him.
Andrew turned and greeted his childhood friend, who as of now was his boss too. But who cares, meeting him was always a good feeling.
Shawn continued “If they spend thousands of dollars making these machines can’t they look a little less horrible. I mean look at it, all the cables popping out of his limbs, cables all over him. If you have a figment of my imagination, that looks like a crabbed old man. Um wait, it also looks like your granddad Andrew.”
They both laughed at the similarities between the machine and the loving granddad. Shawn was always like that, he could smell if anyone had any difficulty and would always come to aid. They both talked for a while and then continued to move towards the cafeteria.
The entire factory was deserted. Most of the workers were on strike, opposite the factory. Strike was simple, stop using machines, it increases their chances of getting a pink slip. A couple of the other issues, unions and certain interested parties also had their motives in the strike. But the main concern was this. Workers are being replaced by machines.
“Say Shawn” Andrew began “How long do you think the strike is gonna go on for?”
“Can’t say. They always go to strike these days. Every issue it seems is solved by strikes. But I don’t think they should be concerned with they getting replaced by machines.”
“Um, we are replacing them aren’t we? That’s what those machines are for?”
“Yeah but they,are forgetting something. Who is gonna make those machines? We are. That’s right, the authorities are so darn impressed by these bots that they are considering building a separate factory just to make that. And then sell the machines of course.”
Andrew couldn’t help but think about Terminator. His face must have shown it because Shawn continued, “You see the bosses are not very keen on mass termination of employees”
Andrew looked sharply at Shawn who snickered a laugh and continued “You aren’t looking at the bigger picture here. The more bigger the neighboring new factory is gonna be, the more employees they are gonna handle. We have employees who are loyal just there, doing nothing. They are great in mechanics and auto machinery. Perfect for new factory.”
Shawn has a point. “After all these machines aren’t here to steal people’s jobs, they are here so that people couldn’t work more. Simple jobs that require the employees only to press buttons.”
“You must have forgotten something. Even if we are turning this town into machines, who makes these machines? Well we do. And as long as the machines are there, there are jobs!”
Andrew was convinced that Shawn was right. More machines, more jobs. After all these autos were nothing but man made creations aren’t they?
(Since I am an engineer, I couldn’t write bad about these automatons. So I just wrote that these machines too are man made!)
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Thanks For Reading
Itsmayurremember
It's Mayur Remember? 
Great read!
But what if we make a machine once that will make other machines.
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Who will make those machines then?
There is no way artificial intelligence could replace cerebral process of humans
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Thanks for including me!
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I can see they couldn’t hope to make a luddite out of you 😉 I’d only add that machines are supposed to cut the necessity of us working so many hours and have a few spare every day for creative endeavours. That’s the optimist in me!
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Thanks for the mention!
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