A Robot Makes a Mean Caesar Salad, but Will It Cost Jobs?

Re:A Robot Makes a Mean Caesar Salad, but Will It Cost Jobs? by dvdhnt on Sunday October 08, 2017 @11:03PM (#15431326)

> The salad cook is just another in the long line of manual jobs that can be done quicker, better, cheaper by a robot.

Allow me to be sentimental for a moment. I agree that some jobs, perhaps even most, can be done "better" by a robot. At least, if we're defining better as more cheaply or "to spec". However, when I go to a nice restaurant, I go because I enjoy the Chef's style, their ability to express their art through cooking. Sure, a robot could do something like that, especially at chains like Burger King, but for my personal incentive to dine at a restaurant, it's unlikely a robot could do a "better" job than a human chef.

That said, you're right, we need to avoid the foolishness of passing the buck when asking "what will our children do?" We can't agree on social issues now, how the hell will we agree when even more people are unable to contribute meaningfully?

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Re:A Robot Makes a Mean Caesar Salad, but Will It Cost Jobs? by cookingrobot on Monday October 09, 2017 @01:09AM (#15431699)

People will prefer meals cooked by robots for the same reason they listen to recorded music. Everyone will have access to the best creations of the best chefs, instead of today where the closest you can get is watching them cook on tv. It will be a new media where artists can directly share their work with the world.

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Re:A Robot Makes a Mean Caesar Salad, but Will It Cost Jobs? by PhasmaFelis on Monday October 09, 2017 @03:22AM (#15432074)

Most people enjoy recorded music, but most people also like to see their favorite artists live, when they can. I think it's the same thing.

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Re:A Robot Makes a Mean Caesar Salad, but Will It Cost Jobs? by Mediterraneo10 on Monday October 09, 2017 @08:49AM (#15433349)

> but most people also like to see their favorite artists live, when they can

Citation needed. Live music is a healthy economy, but I am not sure a majority of listeners of a given artist are particularly driven to go to that artist's concerts. I suspect only a passionate minority is interested.

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Re:A Robot Makes a Mean Caesar Salad, but Will It Cost Jobs? by PhasmaFelis on Monday October 09, 2017 @06:15PM (#15437893)

It's still enough to support an extremely healthy global live-music industry. I don't see handmade food being different.

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Re:A Robot Makes a Mean Caesar Salad, but Will It Cost Jobs? by jamesrcole on Monday October 09, 2017 @03:13AM (#15432048)

Here's an alternative perspective to consider: what if the artistry is in the design of the dishes, and the automated systems could be used for implementing that design. That could lead to good food being cheaper and more accessible to more people.

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Re:A Robot Makes a Mean Caesar Salad, but Will It Cost Jobs? by greenleafjacob on Monday October 09, 2017 @05:03AM (#15432376)

In the future, we will probably download food designs from a food app store, and use our food printer to fabricate the food.

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Re:A Robot Makes a Mean Caesar Salad, but Will It Cost Jobs? by dagw on Monday October 09, 2017 @03:40AM (#15432115)

I go because I enjoy the Chef's style, their ability to express their art through cooking.

Even at many restaurants today the person who's name is above the door as it where rarely touches the food. So as long as that person is the one who is responsible for designing the recipes and menus and plating what difference does it really make if the dish you are served was prepared by a robot or whatever line chef happened to be on duty that day?

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Re:A Robot Makes a Mean Caesar Salad, but Will It Cost Jobs? by PhasmaFelis on Monday October 09, 2017 @03:20AM (#15432069)

I think there will still be professional chefs for a long, long time, for all the reasons you give, and I'm fine with that. But short-order cooks and burger-flippers could be replaced without any loss to the culture--assuming that we can find a way for those people to live happily without needing to prove their worthiness through labor.

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Re:A Robot Makes a Mean Caesar Salad, but Will It Cost Jobs? by umanwizard on Sunday October 08, 2017 @11:15PM (#15431360)

So the maybe 10% of people who fetishize artisanry will still create demand for service jobs. But this is an edge case.

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Re:A Robot Makes a Mean Caesar Salad, but Will It Cost Jobs? by allenz on Monday October 09, 2017 @03:24AM (#15432078)

Also, maybe 10% of chefs view their work as art, rather than as a way to earn money.

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Re:A Robot Makes a Mean Caesar Salad, but Will It Cost Jobs? by KekDemaga on Monday October 09, 2017 @12:04PM (#15435034)

That number is probably less than 1%, those stories about chefs being so inspired by ingredients and just wanting to share that vision with the world are written by marketers.

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