Robotic Nation Evidence

Robotic kiosks proliferate

IHT: Self-service speeds check-in
NYT: Speeding Flight Check-In at Self-Service Kiosks

From the article:

Since the fall of 2001, when new security rules slowed passenger check-in to a crawl, airlines have doubled the number of self-service kiosks, to 3,000. Make that 3,001: Today, JetBlue Airways plans to introduce the first of 150 self-service kiosks it will install around the country at its hub terminal at John F. Kennedy International Airport. JetBlue, whose passengers book about 75 percent of their tickets online, worked with I.B.M. to develop a kiosk with extra large interactive screens.

Self-service kiosks have been a boon to rushed travelers, cutting check-in times, and have saved the industry millions of dollars in labor costs. The machines have proved so successful at airports that two major hotel chains are testing automated check-in systems at some locations.

The phrase, "saved the industry millions of dollars in labor costs" is a euphemism for firing people.

Also:

The airlines are reaping benefits. A study in November by Forrester Research showed that self-service check-in costs the airlines 16 cents a passenger, compared with $3.68 using ticket-counter agents.

This example demonstrates why every corporation will be acquiring robots as quickly as possible -- the economics of robots are impossible to ignore.

Automation that reduces costs like this would normally be seen as good, except that the rate at which these kiosks will start to unemploy people will be startling. From the article:

Hilton Hotels has scheduled tests of self-service kiosks at the Hilton New York and Hilton Chicago. On the basis of the results, it will decide whether to introduce kiosks throughout the chain. Hilton is talking with several airlines to see if the self-service machines can be enhanced with airline check-in systems, according to Thomas Spitler, a Hilton vice president.

"The airlines,'' Mr. Spitler said, "have really trained customers to look for alternatives to human agents."

You will soon find these kiosks not only in airports, but in hotels, fast food restaurants, etc. Hundreds of thousands of people will be losing their jobs at approximately the same time. Simultaneously, automated check out lines will be dismissing workers from retail establishments. At the same time, robots and off-shoring will be eliminating the remaining factory jobs. At the same time, software and offshoring will eliminate most call-center jobs. At the same time off-shoring will be eliminating the majority of IT jobs in the U.S. At the same time...

See Robotic Nation for details.