Automation Should Be Like Iron Man, Not Ultron (cacm.acm.org)
from ephemera3444@lemmy.blahaj.zone to technology@beehaw.org on 09 Jan 23:54
https://lemmy.blahaj.zone/post/20620397

#technology

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Midnitte@beehaw.org on 10 Jan 00:42 next collapse

🎶 Home Assistant 🎶

drwho@beehaw.org on 10 Jan 17:19 collapse

flips the switch on the wall

B0rax@feddit.org on 11 Jan 09:15 next collapse

…You wouldn’t!

Hexarei@programming.dev on 12 Jan 14:10 collapse

Flip it twice and it starts an automation!

t3rmit3@beehaw.org on 10 Jan 20:20 collapse

Wasn’t part of the point that the mindset necessary to create Iron Man would inevitably lead to Ultron?

Automation to increase power (productivity) beyond what humans alone could do -> Iron Man -> Cutting out humans once they are the chokepoint/ limiter in power (productivity) -> Ultron

Companies want automation because they don’t want human limits on productivity to restrict their profits. That mindset is the problem. If we accept that mindset as a valid business operating model, it will never not lead to wanting to remove humans as much as possible.

Turns out the Luddites were right, and the company-owned factory automation was a scheme to dilute worker pay and value. That we’re now fighting not to have workers cut out of the equation entirely kind of proves that it was in fact a slope we’ve slipped down.