PepsiCo will pay hundreds of millions of dollars in severance pay to laid-off workers in Texas and New York as it replaces humans with automation. CEO Ramon Laguarta said PepsiCo is “relentlessly automating” with the “best new technologies.” In other words, reports Business Insider, the company’s four-year restructuring plan includes cutting jobs in Texas and […]
Monthly Archives: February 2019
Reporters on the Growing List of Jobs Being Lost to Artificial Intelligence
Although the over job market in America has remained strong, the long term disruption to a wide number of careers has begun unfolding. The easiest to see are the expected job loses in transportation, with the advent of driverless vehicles, and in warehousing, where robot lifts replace the employees. Less obvious are those careers once […]
The American AI Initiative: Trump Signs Executive Order on Artificial Intelligence
On Feb. 11, 2019, President Trump signed an executive order establishing the American AI Initiative. The goal: to position the U.S. as the world leader in artificial intelligence. The initiative includes five major areas of action but lacks specific strategic steps, reports IEEE Spectrum’s Tech Talk blog. In fact, artificial intelligence experts believe it’s little […]
Marty the Grocery Store Robot Is Keeping Aisles Clear
Meet Marty, the grocery store robot. This new “employee” is utilizing artificial intelligence to monitor aisles and keep them clear. A command center in the Philippines controls Marty, reports AP technology writer Matt O’Brien. More specifically, the wheeled robot sends images of spills and messes to the center’s human workers, who in turn trigger cleanup […]
Jobs lost to AI, Robotics and Automation are Already Underway in Parts of China
Today, as you read this, citizens of Shenzhen China live and work side by side with their future replacements. Shenzhen is a major tech hub city within China, so it can be viewed as ground zero for the deployment of many new technologies and innovations, including AI and robotics. In a recent Bloomberg, Hello World […]
Alibaba Uses AI to Reduce City’s Traffic Congestion
Hangzhou’s seven million residents are reaping enormous traffic reduction benefits thanks to artificial intelligence called City Brain. City Brain was developed by Alibaba, which makes its home in the eastern Chinese city. Once ranked fifth among China’s most-congested cities, Hangzhou is now 57th on the list, according to a CNN report. The AI invention gathers […]
Nevada Counties Using Blockchain for Public Records
Northern Nevada counties are using blockchain to store digital versions of birth certificates, marriage certificates, and other government records. It’s just one more way this online ledger, known for securing virtual currencies like bitcoin, is replacing paper… and people. The Reno Gazette-Journal reported that between April and December 2018, Washoe County delivered 950 secure digital […]
Blockchain Tracks 28 Tons of Mandarin Oranges from China to Singapore
IBM used the delivery of 108,000 oranges to test blockchain recording of the main shipping document and bill of lading. Blockchain did in “just one second” what takes five to seven days to do with traditional paperwork. Blockchain-based electronic systems save document processing time while also cutting operating costs, according to a report by CoinDesk. […]
Will You Lose Your Job to Artificial Intelligence?
Some experts expect that the U.S. will lose 10 percent of its jobs to artificial intelligence (AI), while others anticipate losses of 50 percent or more. In fact, job loss estimates will continue to run the gamut, depending on who’s making the prediction and what model they opt to use. Economists, for example, look at […]
Self-Driving Semi Truck Completes Cross-Country Test Drive
Integrating self-driving systems into existing semi-trucks creates autonomous vehicles that do not rely on human drivers for long hauls. Embark, a San Francisco startup, successfully programmed a Peterbilt semi-truck to drive from Los Angeles to Jacksonville, reports CNBC’s Lora Kolodny. That is, incredibly, a journey of 2,400 miles without a human behind the wheel. In […]