What happens when robots take all the low paying jobs? The Chinese company Haidilao International Holdings LTD.’s thinks that they will make more money.
Asia’s biggest restaurant chain is working to bring a fully automated restaurant to life with Japan’s Panasonic Corp.
A new Haidilao restaurant, which serves soup, is planning to open its first all robot eatery on October 28th. The new restaurant will feature robots that will take the orders from the guests, prepare the meals and deliver them to the tables.
The robots will be cooking raw meat and chopping fresh vegetables and no human will be needed to run the restaurant.
According to an article on Bloomberg, Haidilao is looking to expand it’s popular restaurant and the robot automation is the best way the company has found to decrease labor costs and increase efficiency.
Haidilao isn’t the only company that is looking to automate the food and beverage industry.
McDonald’s has installed automated kiosks where customers can order without having to interact with a cashier with the goal of lowering labor costs and speeding up efficiency.
Although the idea of robots serving us at a restaurant is new and exciting now, what will happen in ten years when this could be standard? What will happen to the thousands of jobs that will be lost? Where will the people go to find their first job?
Many people start their professional careers in restaurants. Simple low-paying jobs are perfect for students and people learning how to be a good worker. If the robot revolution continues, many of those low paying jobs won’t be available anymore.
The restaurant industry isn’t the only industry that is cutting low paying jobs to increase automation. Amazon is building convenience stores in America that are completely cashier-less with a new one opening in New York soon.
The growing automation could make it harder for people to find low skill jobs in the future and make education that much more important.
What are your thoughts about automation? Is it a good thing or a bad thing? Let us know in the comments below.