The New Industrial Revolution: Are we actually ready for this?

gentlesailor17 said:Most of what you see out there are just first or second-gen robots. They aren't even close to the actual AI people usually have in mind when they talk about robotics.

But hey, let's be real—replacing certain jobs with automated systems? That’s been happening for ages already.

The real kicker is that automating a factory line isn't about public opinion—it’s just about tech availability and the bottom line. If a boss can swap in a robot where the monthly $33 electricity bill is the only cost—plus it doesn't call in sick, never gets tired, and doesn't have a union (😁)—then they aren't looking for a human worker...

I wonder if we’ll eventually get to the point where we can just 3D print our food, or if we should all start grabbing our shovels and getting ready to work the soil ourselves, given everything that seems to be heading our way...

Sam Murphy said:I wonder if we’ll eventually get to the point where we can just 3D print our food, or if we should all start grabbing our shovels and getting ready to work the soil ourselves, given everything that seems to be heading our way...

Yes!
http://www.space.com/21250-nasa-3d-f...ter-pizza.html
Plus, if this device actually works, we might even be able to manufacture our own printer filament right at home.

Jessica Kelly4 said:Once they perfect the Meta Quest in a few years, the streets will be empty. Only funeral homes will stay busy, picking up folks who forgot their stomachs exist in the real world while their heads are stuck in VR. 😁

Lol, funny thought 🙂
by the way, have you seen that movie with Bruce Willis called Surrogates?

Aaron Barrett79 said:The real kicker is that automating a factory line isn't about public opinion—it’s just about tech availability and the bottom line. If a boss can swap in a robot where the monthly $33 electricity bill is the only cost—plus it doesn't call in sick, never gets tired, and doesn't have a union (😁)—then they aren't looking for a human worker...

I was mostly just referring to how those kinds of systems already exist today. Since some folks were messing around with stuff over in Japan.

Sam Murphy said:I wonder if we’ll eventually get to the point where we can just 3D print our food, or if we should all start grabbing our shovels and getting ready to work the soil ourselves, given everything that seems to be heading our way...

Food isn't gonna be printed anytime soon, buddy—but you can definitely start practicing with a shovel right now. 😁

David Price5 said:Yes!
http://www.space.com/21250-nasa-3d-f...ter-pizza.html
Plus, if this device actually works, we might even be able to manufacture our own printer filament right at home.

Personally, I’ve never been a fan of that whole printed food concept...😕

ruggedgardener2 said:goldengull3, I'm dying to hear what you think about this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kYIfeZcXA9U

I don’t have the luxury of sitting here and watching the whole thing right now, but if you ask me, the job market shift is actually quite straightforward. We are seeing the elimination of roles that are purely repetitive and offer zero incremental value, though, in their place, entirely different opportunities are emerging.

The jobs being phased out include things like:
- Assembly line workers—a robot handles that far more efficiently.
- Grocery clerks—they don't add unique value or meaningfully drive sales.
- Truck drivers—automation is already proving superior (even as we speak).

But conversely, certain roles aren't disappearing; in fact, demand will only climb:
- Designers—the advent of 3D modeling presents a massive new frontier.
- Mechanical engineers—they can now develop technologies they previously could only dream of.
- Chefs—they provide intrinsic value by refining and customizing a product (though I suspect high-volume cafeteria cooks will eventually be replaced by advanced printers).
- Car salespeople or servers—human social interaction drives sales in a way a kiosk simply cannot replicate.

That said, this reality completely dismantles the outdated vision of "industry" that many Americans cling to. The kind of industrial landscape being built today doesn't require massive factories packed with thousands of low-skilled laborers.

Amanda Diaz said:Are we even preparing for the future? And honestly, what can a country with an economy the size of America's mid-sized states actually do about it? Invent a 3D printer? No chance—it’s already done. Throw a few billion dollars at improving existing tech? Forget it, because some global superpower will just dump tens of billions into the exact same thing tomorrow.

So, how exactly is this "preparation" supposed to work? I'd love to know, just so I can actually get ready...

Specialization.

Maybe learn everything about them. Learn how to build, how to code, and how to develop ideas and products faster and better than anyone else.

Americans didn't invent windshield glass, nor do they produce most of it, yet Ferrari buys theirs from American suppliers. Americans didn't invent polymer semi-automatic pistols, yet the top-selling model in the US comes from an American manufacturer. Americans didn't invent fuel regulators, but a huge chunk of global production would vanish overnight if a major American component maker disappeared.

A 3D printer is just a tool. Success depends on whatever you decide to make with it.

- truck driver - and honestly, robots already do a better job (even as we speak!)

I haven't seen a single robot behind the wheel of a semi-truck yet, and frankly, the whole concept doesn't sit right with me... just imagine if its microchip suddenly glitches out while it's hauling freight on the highway...

America, the high-tech leader👍

(copyright by Sarah James4)😁

Definitely worth marking on the calendar.

Ever since I heard you could actually make food out of algae, I’ve been sitting here wondering—why isn't this some massive industry bigger than the damn iPhone? It’s basically just high-tech snacks for adults, so why aren't all our government agencies stockpiling this stuff already?

Sam Murphy said:

- truck driver - and honestly, robots already do a better job (even as we speak!)

I haven't seen a single robot behind the wheel of a semi-truck yet, and frankly, the whole concept doesn't sit right with me... just imagine if its microchip suddenly glitches out while it's hauling freight on the highway...

Cars can already park themselves. Even Fords!😳

goldengull3 said:I don’t have the luxury of sitting here and watching the whole thing right now, but if you ask me, the job market shift is actually quite straightforward. We are seeing the elimination of roles that are purely repetitive and offer zero incremental value, though, in their place, entirely different opportunities are emerging.

The jobs being phased out include things like:
- Assembly line workers—a robot handles that far more efficiently.
- Grocery clerks—they don't add unique value or meaningfully drive sales.
- Truck drivers—automation is already proving superior (even as we speak).

But conversely, certain roles aren't disappearing; in fact, demand will only climb:
- Designers—the advent of 3D modeling presents a massive new frontier.
- Mechanical engineers—they can now develop technologies they previously could only dream of.
- Chefs—they provide intrinsic value by refining and customizing a product (though I suspect high-volume cafeteria cooks will eventually be replaced by advanced printers).
- Car salespeople or servers—human social interaction drives sales in a way a kiosk simply cannot replicate.

That said, this reality completely dismantles the outdated vision of "industry" that many Americans cling to. The kind of industrial landscape being built today doesn't require massive factories packed with thousands of low-skilled laborers.

But he's out here claiming that technological progress is wiping out more jobs than it actually creates.

Sam Murphy said:

- truck driver - and honestly, robots already do a better job (even as we speak!)

I haven't seen a single robot behind the wheel of a semi-truck yet, and frankly, the whole concept doesn't sit right with me... just imagine if its microchip suddenly glitches out while it's hauling freight on the highway...

And now he's moving on to self-driving cars.

Nobody actually knows what's coming. 🙂

Sam Murphy said:

- truck driver - and honestly, robots already do a better job (even as we speak!)

I haven't seen a single robot behind the wheel of a semi-truck yet, and frankly, the whole concept doesn't sit right with me... just imagine if its microchip suddenly glitches out while it's hauling freight on the highway...

And what about human drivers? They fall asleep, sneeze, or misjudge their own abilities all the time.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Google_driverless_car
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/google-s...r-says-google/
It drove perfectly without a single accident until a human took over, and then—boom—a crash occurred.😁

This is easily one of the most senseless hypes we've seen lately.

goldengull3 said:You have likely encountered the headlines—the proliferation of 3D printers is accelerating at a pace that many claim will trigger a second industrial revolution.

Billions are being poured into this development. In America, the primary driver is the desire to decouple industrial manufacturing from its heavy reliance on China. Much of what is currently handled by a largely semi-skilled workforce can already be printed, or will be within a few short years:
- plastic and similar components (this is already a reality)
- metal parts (already occurring sporadically)
- houses and similar structures (on the horizon)

The implications are simple. If you need a glass, you print it. If you require an auto part, a mechanic simply orders it from a "print shop," and a component is ready for installation in a matter of hours—eliminating the need for shipping or massive inventories.

Looking for specialized pasta? Even Kraft Heinz is exploring 3D printing:

In an era where a 3D printer can produce product prototypes, floor tiles, miniature replicas, aircraft components, or even custom sweets, it stands to reason that one could print bespoke pasta. This is precisely the objective of Kraft Heinz, which, in collaboration with the RAND Corporation in Silicon Valley, has begun developing a prototype device designed for 3D pasta printing.

The goal is to engineer a printer specifically for restaurants aiming to offer a unique service: serving pasta in customized shapes and flavors, prepared almost instantly upon ordering.

Perhaps you need an entire house? That is also possible; walls can be erected in 24 hours:

On a cleared and leveled site, workers would lay down two rails a few feet further apart than the eventual building’s width and a computer-controlled contour crafter would take over from there. A gantry-type crane with a hanging nozzle and a components-placing arm would travel along the rails. The nozzle would spit out concrete in layers to create hollow walls, and then fill in the walls with additional concrete… humans would hang doors and insert windows.

http://www.psfk.com/2014/01/concrete...er.html#!sfIHV

Millions of jobs will vanish in the coming years. Of course, new ones will emerge—someone must design, assemble, and maintain these printers, just as someone must handle design, sales, and intellectual property protection.

What will undeniably disappear are the low-skill positions in manufacturing, logistics, assembly, and certain sectors of construction. This shift will carry profound political consequences; as the industrial structure shifts, so does the demand in the labor market. Developed nations will no longer be seeking factory workers, but specialists.

Ultimately, this is a subject of intense contemplation in developed nations, but I wonder if anyone here is truly paying attention.

Copyright should just be abolished entirely.

goldengull3 said:I don’t have the luxury of sitting here and watching the whole thing right now, but if you ask me, the job market shift is actually quite straightforward. We are seeing the elimination of roles that are purely repetitive and offer zero incremental value, though, in their place, entirely different opportunities are emerging.

The jobs being phased out include things like:
- Assembly line workers—a robot handles that far more efficiently.
- Grocery clerks—they don't add unique value or meaningfully drive sales.
- Truck drivers—automation is already proving superior (even as we speak).

But conversely, certain roles aren't disappearing; in fact, demand will only climb:
- Designers—the advent of 3D modeling presents a massive new frontier.
- Mechanical engineers—they can now develop technologies they previously could only dream of.
- Chefs—they provide intrinsic value by refining and customizing a product (though I suspect high-volume cafeteria cooks will eventually be replaced by advanced printers).
- Car salespeople or servers—human social interaction drives sales in a way a kiosk simply cannot replicate.

That said, this reality completely dismantles the outdated vision of "industry" that many Americans cling to. The kind of industrial landscape being built today doesn't require massive factories packed with thousands of low-skilled laborers.

This could spark some bloody revolutions.

Just like how white farmers in Kansas revolted against slavery—not because they were big fans of the system, but because they couldn't compete with the slave owners—people aren't going to sit idly by while robots take over the factory floor.

A. I.😉 is still quite a ways off from the sci-fi visions we all tend to conjure up in our heads, though I suppose that’s part of the charm. Still, if you're looking to scratch that itch, there are some genuinely intriguing shows popping up lately that explore the frontier. I'll give a warm recommendation for this one...

http://www.sciencechannel.com/tv-shows/futurescape

Nicholas Chavez70 said:Honestly, this is the absolute pinnacle of progress... For professional athletes, this will likely go down as the greatest invention in history. I find myself wondering about the price tag, though, and more importantly, if they could eventually manufacture an artificial disc to sit between my vertebrae... 🤷

That 2019 Ford Focus actually features the same technology we're seeing in this Mercedes-Benz now... if not even earlier... 😉

As of right now, I don't expect much movement. We're looking at experimental therapies being run out of university hospitals. It'll likely be a few years before we see anything concrete.