😀 ‘Our streets are made for people’: San Francisco mulls ban on delivery robots
The feeling, compassionate, dare I say “woke” elites of San Francisco have priced low-skill jobs out of existence, yet those job still need to get done. A high-tech solution to the government-made problem shows promise, and we can’t have that…
The tech company Marble’s bots use lidar, camera and ultrasonic sensors to avoid pedestrians and navigate pavements, delivering small packages and takeaway food within a mile or two, at walking pace.
But if one San Francisco official has his way, every pizza the Marble robot delivers could come with a $1,000 fine and a jail sentence for its human controllers.
San Francisco supervisor Norman Yee recently proposed legislation that would prohibit autonomous delivery robots – which includes those with a remote human operator – on public streets in the city. He told technology news site Recode, “our streets and our sidewalks are made for people, not robots.” He also worries that many delivery jobs would disappear.
There’s only one reason a pizza parlor would ever risk a zillion-dollar robot to replace a broke guy on a bicycle – and I’ve a feeling Norman Yee was part of that reason. Let the troubles cascade!
Two thoughts: 1) How much do you tip the robot? 10%. 2) What happens when it’s a prank order to an empty lot? 3) How long before a teenager standing at that empty lot removes his food order and replaces it with a returning bag of doggie doodoo? OK, three so-called thoughts.
I’m guessing the robot doesn’t leave the store until payment has been electronically processed, no?
It’s not just government that is guilty of eliminating low wage jobs. There also is plenty of corporate greed out there For example, government has nothing to do with how much Uber drivers are paid (and some barely exist on their pay) yet Uber is openly and busily trying to figure out how to replace its drivers with robots.
Two thoughts:
“I, Robot” (Isaac Asimov)
“Fondly Fahrenheit” (Alfred Bester)
One other thought:
The first fully robotized passenger airplane, announcement to the passengers after take-off:
“Welcome aboard! I am your pilot, and also your co-pilot, and your navigator. You are flying today in the first passenger airplane which does NOT include a human crew! I am the pinnacle of human invention, and I have been thoroughly tested for five years to insure that your comfort and safety are absolutely guaranteed.”
“While I am in charge, nothing can possibly go wrong *BLEEP* go wrong *BLEEP* go wrong *BLEEP* go wrong *BLEEP* go wrong *BLEEP* go wrong *BLEEP* go wrong *BLEEP* go wrong…