Honestly, we've just witnessed companies getting rid of people anyway regardless if we have machines to replace them (at the expense of customers and their workers).

 

Tesco literally hemorrhages money because they use sh_tty financial software (my SO works in assisting multiple companies with their accounting software, and Tesco's notorious in his workplace because they refuse to pay for new updates and constantly have a new accountant every 6 months), plus they have problematic self-checkout machines which can be manipulated if you take the price tag off (I've literally seen kids rip the barcode off a magazine, put it on the scales, and then add it onto their purchase as an 'onion'. And the harried human worker doesn't notice because he/she often has to help 2-3 customers at the same time while collecting baskets and calling out to people if they're paying cash or debit card. Tesco doesn't give a sh_t because they'd rather lose money than pay for salaries to create an efficient and fast customer service--and I'm sure there's PLENTY of companies/restaurants exactly like this.

 

Like I absolutely get your point (hell, I absolutely support your opinion) but literally everybody is running their business to the ground without the use of robots (and trust me, being worked to the breaking point really does make its workers apathetic (and then you have to make sure that you don't accidentally burn/injure yourself as you're told to rush around because there's only three people working in the entire store/restaurant/plant/etc).

 

Like, I'm sure that even my job would be replaced (I was supposed to be a regular admin. Now I'm replacing financial administrators and am doing the work of three people without even a pay rise). But I know that i'd be worked to the very bone until they fire me for a robot (and when the robot f_cks up, the university won't care as long as the backlog of tasks 'eventually' get picked up in a month or so. I'm in a university building that had two elevators breakdown, and our management hasn't fixed it in a month--they just tell the disabled students to 'study' in the lower ground floors and completely ignored our students' comments on having to attend classes on the upper floors).

We'd definitely need someone to step in and put a stop on the reckless financial practices of companies. Because the majority of the people who control our commerce, job market and rest of society are used to running their businesses like slumlords.