My local grocery store has six or seven of the self-serve checkouts. I was using one of them last night, like I always do, when I ran into a problem. I was trying to purchase a pack of corn, but it had neither a bar code or a PLU number. When I tried to look the item up, the computer pulled up several variants, and for the life of me I could not find the one I had. I inadvertently chose the wrong one, so I tried to back out… that’s when things went awry. The computer displayed an error, but before I could read it, it went away and displayed, “Please Wait For Attendant.” I looked up at the girl who was attending the machines, but she was busy chatting with her friends. I made a throaty noise and got her attention. She snapped, “What does it say?” expecting me to tell her what the error was, but that was gone, so I replied, “Please Wait For Attendant.” In a frustrated fashion, she punched a few buttons at her control station, and my kiosk cleared up. She promptly went back to talking to her friends and ignoring me.
I’m sort of geek, so I began thinking of ways to improve the automated checkout. I’ve come up with dozens already. It’s not the machines fault for being a piece of shit that has to be corrected every couple of minutes. It is poorly designed. If it had a little more computer power and better sensors, you wouldn’t have to type in a search for an oddball item. The machine would simply ‘see’ what it is just like we do, and make the appropriate entry on your order. With R.F.I.D technology, it wouldn’t even be necessary to interact with the machine. The store could have sensors that would know when you take an item, and could link directly with your R.F.I.D. account, and debit what is owed. You would simply go in and take what you need. If you want a receipt, one could be printed for you as you walk out the door, or even emailed to you without wasting paper. The technology could be improved to the point that you don’t need people ‘attending’ it at all.
Now, I know what your thinking. You’re thinking, “But what about the people who work there now? Wouldn’t they be out of a job?” Well, yes, but this is nothing new. Machines have been displacing human workers for a long time now, and I only foresee it increasing in the years to come. With the emergence of advanced sensors, voice recognition and artificial intelligence, machines can now do the heavy thinking as well as the heavy lifting. It won’t be long before technology can do every job we do now, only better. “Yes, but what about the jobs? People need to work and make a living, you know!” Your right, in today’s competition/money based society, mechanization is both a good and a bad thing. It’s good for the corporations because they save a lot of money. Machines can work around the clock. They don’t need time off when they get tired, because they don’t get tired. They don’t complain, get sad, angry, or require HR departments to handle them. They don’t need company picnics, pats on the back, or any kind of appreciation. They don’t get sick, need health insurance, or 401Ks. I could go on and on. It makes sense for companies to use machines instead of flesh and blood human beings. It is a good thing for them, for a while. The problem is that it is a bad thing for people who depend on working for a living, which means it is ultimately a bad thing for the corporations. The more workers that are displaced by machines, the less people there are with jobs out there to buy a companies goods or services. In today’s system, mechanization will ultimately backfire on the corporation.
Technology is racing forward at an incredible pace, and I don’t see it slowing down. The problem is the way that our society operates is stuck in the bronze age. We still use a monetary system that was designed to keep the working people, well, working. It’s the proverbial carrot on a string that keeps the donkey moving. Our system is built around competition. A thousand years ago this was necessary because there wasn’t enough to go around. Gaining advantage over your fellow man (your competition) meant your survival. Things have changed. The emergence of the scientific method and technology has given us the power to create an abundance of the necessities of life. We have the knowledge to build machines that can do all the labor that we do now, only infinitely better. People aren’t really necessary to do menial tasks anymore, in fact, if the technology was fully realized – we would only be in the way. We have the resources and the technology to turn the world into a truly awesome place, but our centuries old, predatory culture is in the way. As long as we are at each others throats in a monetary system, we will never achieve our true potential.
Let’s face it, the girl behind the checkout doesn’t want to be there. She wants to be with her friends or in school learning, or doing a hundred better things than being a hired servant at a grocery store. And I don’t really want to interact with her as a servant anyway. We have the technology. We can rebuild society; make it stronger, faster, better. We must understand that we are all in the same boat. We all have the same needs, so why don’t we work together for a change, and make the world a better place. Are you with me?
