[Ummon]

http://www.technologyreview.com/view/519241/report-suggests-nearly-half-of-us-jobs-are-vulnerable-to-computerization/

A recent report (which is not online, but summarized here ) from the Oxford Martin School’s Programme on the Impacts of Future Technology attempts to quantify the extent of that threat. It concludes that 45 percent of American jobs are at high risk of being taken by computers within the next two decades.
The authors believe this takeover will happen in two stages. First, computers will start replacing people in especially vulnerable fields like transportation/logistics, production labor, and administrative support. Jobs in services, sales, and construction may also be lost in this first stage. Then, the rate of replacement will slow down due to bottlenecks in harder-to-automate fields such engineering. This “technological plateau” will be followed by a second wave of computerization, dependent upon the development of good artificial intelligence. This could next put jobs in management, science and engineering, and the arts at risk.

<-- TL:DR? Just watch this

bill gates thinks so too:

http://www.businessinsider.com/bill-gates-bots-are-taking-away-jobs-2014-3

and larry page:

http://www.forbes.com/sites/ellenhuet/2014/07/07/larry-page-robot-jobs/

Robot bartenders:

http://www.usatoday.com/story/cruiselog/2014/11/01/quantum-robot-bar-cruise/18308319/

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/monsieur/monsieur-the-artificially-intelligent-robotic-bart

Germany builds smart factories:

http://online.wsj.com/articles/germany-bets-on-smart-factories-to-keep-its-manufacturing-edge-1414355745

Google built a neural turing machine that can "program itself": (having trouble substantiating claim in quotes so it may be media hyperbole)

https://www.tumblr.com/search/neural+turing+machines

Orchard Supply Hardware robot:

automation at mcdonald's:

http://www.computerworld.com/article/2837810/automation-arrives-at-restaurants-but-dont-blame-rising-minimum-wages.html

amelia the artificial intelligence:

https://uk.finance.yahoo.com/news/meet-amelia-ipsoft-artificial-intelligence-090000370.html

peterbilt has an autonomous truck:

http://www.peterbilt.com/about/media/2014/430/

architects are racing to build 3d printed houses:

http://www.businessinsider.com/3d-printed-houses-are-here-2014-9

for the poor too:

http://www.iflscience.com/technology/3d-printer-uses-mud-natural-fibers-make-homes-impoverished-areas

farm robot detects pests and picks weeds:

http://motherboard.vice.com/read/solar-powered-robot-farmhand-automatically-detects-pests-and-picks-weeds

farm drones:

http://www.technologyreview.com/featuredstory/526491/agricultural-drones/

they can even 3d print your crops and email you when they're done:

http://motherboard.vice.com/read/in-the-middle-of-3d-printing-robots-and-agriculture-sits-farmbot

IBM's watson artificial intelligence:

http://www.technologyreview.com/news/529606/a-room-where-executives-go-to-get-help-from-ibms-watson/

http://www.bloomberg.com/video/will-ibm-s-watson-replace-sales-associates-Vd_owIt3RwqX2zYcmwfG8w.html

amazon's delivery drones:

http://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2014/08/17/amazon-drone-offensive/13966157/

they might even help you in your old age:

http://www.technologyreview.com/news/531941/your-retirement-may-include-a-robot-helper/

kiosks for chili's and applebee's:

http://www.businessinsider.com/tablets-are-making-waiters-obsolete-2014-6

outsourcing has become too expensive so now automation has taken over:

http://motherboard.vice.com/read/outsourcing-is-no-longer-cheap-so-its-being-automated

and google's self driving cars:

http://www.theverge.com/2014/9/22/6828161/california-permits-self-driving-cars-google-audi-mercedes-benz

robots clean solar panels:

http://phys.org/news/2013-12-robot-wiper-tackles-solar-panel.html

3d printed hydroponics:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ZZt5E68m-c&feature=share

drone provide internet:

http://www.gizmag.com/quarkson-skyorbiter/33912/

drones monitor behavior of whales:

http://www.gizmag.com/vancouver-aquarium-drones-killer-whales/34341/



http://www.technologyreview.com/view/530241/revolution-in-progress-the-networked-economy/

[Rancid]

Would this mean we can just relax and have beers?

[Ummon]

Maybe. Either that or the rich eat caviar served by golden robots while 80% of humanity is hosed. I think it's 55-45 right now. /facetious

[Rancid]

I figured if so much of the economy is automated, products should become cheaper.

[Ummon]

This is true, and it actually will create an insane amount of wealth, however humans won't be needed to participate as much. So you could have 80% unemployment by 2050 (in the united states). So the only way for people to survive would be a fundamental restructuring of society (unlikely imo) or supplying a basic income. I think this could work especially if we built everyone cheap sustainable microhomes equipable with rainwater catchment systems, composting toilets, and solar panels.

http://www.shareable.net/blog/how-to-li ... tiny-house

http://www.gizmag.com/gizmag-top-tiny-homes-2014/34401/

http://motherboard.vice.com/read/these- ... dian-woods

http://time.com/3177905/tiny-houses-hom ... nd-oregon/

[pugsville]

With automated factories and robot soldiers/drones/security the Rich will only need the poor for personal services, and a middle class of techno lackeys.

We will have a fundamental restructure of society, the later the more radical and brutal.