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Introducing Amazon Go and the worlds most advanced shopping technology
- Thread starter Exile20
- Start date
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Skellig Gra
Member
I'm skeptical of the "no lines" thing. I definitely think some sort of kiosk delivery model is the way retail is heading but the crowd control aspect of it will be tricky to nail down.
No lie, I was hesitate in posting at first because of that same reason.
I'd like to see more information on how it works rather than "self driving car!" and "sensor fusion!" buzzwords, but then, I'm a huge nerd. I'd assume they track you round the store with cameras, and all the products have RFIDs or similar so they can be sure which you've removed from a shelf?
As for "lost jobs", I'd rather see universal basic income, than legislate away new technology so we can keep people doing minimum-wage busy work. Things like this are probably what will give society the impetus to implement it.
As for "lost jobs", I'd rather see universal basic income, than legislate away new technology so we can keep people doing minimum-wage busy work. Things like this are probably what will give society the impetus to implement it.
BattleMonkey
Member
Unlikely to be done or needed at a retail sized location, and despite tons of automation at their distribution warehouses, they are a huge employer of actual human beings at the facilities.
Very interesting. London has many places that are crammed at lunch time, with office workers having to wait in long queues to pay for food. I'd like to see what happens if Amazon seeds these shops in those high density density areas such as financial and media districts etc.
As an aside, I wrote to Jeff Bezos about a problem I was having and I got contacted by someone on his team. Never thought that would work.
As an aside, I wrote to Jeff Bezos about a problem I was having and I got contacted by someone on his team. Never thought that would work.
Rimon-hanit
Member
So creepy.
outunderthestars
Banned
How would we fund the universal basic income when fewer and fewer people are working?
This thread seems sadly ok with the trend of consolidating wealth in the hands of fewer and fewer people.
soundscream
Member
Ideally its all supposed to be automated, the vendors the buyers all using the in stocks from stores and buying history to automatically take care of it all. But like you said we are nowhere near that point yet. And thats not even taking into account software fuck ups that will occur.
That's not going to change in the money=power society we have made for ourselves. People aren't going to give up their ideals until they die. Only the new gen can truly change things.
There is nothing wrong with work, work is fulfilling and keeps you happy and productive if you believe in what you do. It's actually dealing with entitled condescending a-holes that makes service jobs horrible in some places.
Just thinking of ways of griefing or breaking this system..
Assuming the way it keeps track of which item is in who's basket is via combination of visual data and proximity of the users' phone. Like picking up items or returning them for others is going to be a no no in terms of who gets charged for what etc. Also means an end to the lazy "put whatever you don't want back on a random shelf" way people tend to leave items.
Assuming the way it keeps track of which item is in who's basket is via combination of visual data and proximity of the users' phone. Like picking up items or returning them for others is going to be a no no in terms of who gets charged for what etc. Also means an end to the lazy "put whatever you don't want back on a random shelf" way people tend to leave items.
outunderthestars
Banned
Yes, and those employees are treated in credibly poorly.
Beer Monkey
Member
I worked at Kroger IT in the 90s and this was included in our long-term vision 20 years ago.
All this fancy technology when they could just do the old interstate toll system and have you walk through that little turnstyle one at a time with your phone on and it just totals everything up in like two seconds and charges you.
Seems needlessly complicated if all that mumbo jumbo is true.
Seems needlessly complicated if all that mumbo jumbo is true.
soundscream
Member
Its all based on RFIDs, ideally you get scanned when walking out the door.
KO Traveling Hobo
Member
I'm all for technological progression, but the government has to get their fucking asses in gear to handle it.
They won't even budge on minimum wage. Basic income is a pipe dream.
They won't even budge on minimum wage. Basic income is a pipe dream.
and jobs that only existed specifically because of technological progress in the first place. There was no demand for cashiers at 10 lane supermarkets beyond maybe 70-80 yrs ago.
This.
Nexus Zero
Member
My heart isn't bleeding for the further redundancy of worthless and unfulfilling jobs.
My worry is the swifter and sharper this process is, the further right people will shift as it opens the way for racist demagogues to blame this on "brown people". The sooner we cut that crap out and focus on providing for people who are going to be jobless forever, the better.
My worry is the swifter and sharper this process is, the further right people will shift as it opens the way for racist demagogues to blame this on "brown people". The sooner we cut that crap out and focus on providing for people who are going to be jobless forever, the better.
Pagusas
Elden Member
my guess is RF tagging everything, low tolerance for errors on the processing side, and easy no question refunds on small missbilled items.
The Technomancer
card-carrying scientician
I assume that to get in the store you swipe your phone on something like a subway turnstile
outunderthestars
Banned
Again, how do we do that as wealth and power are consolidated into fewer and fewer hands?
Rellik
Member
After standing around for so long in Tesco earlier for the self-checkouts with 2 food items, I welcome these Amazon Go stores. I hope they grow and end up in the UK.
Yep, there's a video in the OP showing this.
Yep, there's a video in the OP showing this.
soundscream
Member
You would assume they would have a costco like system of only letting members in, but whats to stop 2 people coming in together and the one of them just taking shit and leaving....who knows. It would be simpler to have a few cashiers. The scanning process is seconds for everything you would be buying, which is the main reason for lines.
A single item yes but if you have lots of items then no unless you look at the receipt specifically.
The same with this system. When you walk out you get a notification on your phone with the single item costing $10.
GifGafIsTheBestGaf
Member
that's god damn impressive
You swipe your phone when you walk in the store.
If you don't swipe your phone I guess you could steal things. Not sure how that's different from stealing from a normal grocery store, though. It's inevitable and the employees usually keep an eye out to stop when it happens.
The scariest thing about this is that Amazon has, once again, come out of fucking nowhere with some nuts AI tech that no one knew they were developing. Is there a bunch of secret AI Amazon labs somewhere???
J
Jpop
Unconfirmed Member
It will likely populate your cart as you pull items. So you'll see the price of things when you put them in your cart.
Really don't see why this would be an issue that would occure.
Soapbox Killer
Grand Nagus
I hate this. I know I am a knuckle-dragging caveman but still, this is not the future I want.
Innovations like this wouldn't cost our society jobs if we properly invested in education (which would create many important jobs in and of itself). Positions generally aren't being removed, they're being shifted to be more technical and less manual. The way we educate our future workforce has to shift along with that or people will keep getting left behind.
That said, I'm amazed at the tech and the simplicity of the concept. It's a natural progression of the self-checkout line, married with the common online shopping cart. User error is virtually eliminated and I wouldn't be surprised to see some record low shrink rates as well. If they can keep that competitive Amazon pricing we see online at their stores too, then they'll mop up (if state assemblies allow them to).
That said, I'm amazed at the tech and the simplicity of the concept. It's a natural progression of the self-checkout line, married with the common online shopping cart. User error is virtually eliminated and I wouldn't be surprised to see some record low shrink rates as well. If they can keep that competitive Amazon pricing we see online at their stores too, then they'll mop up (if state assemblies allow them to).
Feel free to be left behind by tech . The industrial revolution killed tons of jobs across many sectors too .
soundscream
Member
Yes but if you have done it 10 times with no issue you will be less likely to check on the 11th time until later in the day you look and suprise you now get to make another trip to the store. Errors happen all the time, this is just going to inconvenience people when it happens, and it most definitely will happen. The scanning process is instantaneous, having 3 cashiers would solve a ton of headaches.
J
Jpop
Unconfirmed Member
Guarantee you this will be there soon.
I do . And I doubt any country can stop it . Even if 99 percent of countries say no to automation . The one percent that do will advance swiftly and be really really productive with significant margins .
matrixman92
Member
what if you act like you are with another person who is scanning their phone and walk in with them? Or is every person individually required to have a phone with the app
You really think Amazon wouldn't immediately rectify any pricing errors when you alert them, regardless of how late after your shopping experience it was? That's the reason they were so successful launching their online business.
Not to mention the tech will improve to a point where this will likely never happen. AND the amount of people it will "inconvenience" is minute compared to how much time and energy this concept will save.
Cashiers are on their way out. The sooner people accept this the sooner we can make plans to adjust our society around that fact.
Cow1337killr
Banned
Forget lost jobs, this brings us one step closer to not needing to have jobs at all. I'm all for this.
J
Jpop
Unconfirmed Member
How are you gonna get out when you need to scan again?
Partly this . Ppl have to realize jobs are now in the well educated sector .... Science is moving that fast . But as I said we seriously have to look at universal basic income because these things are going to be needed . Say all the manual labor workers got retrained it's not like the tech or art industries are big enough to accommodate everyone . It'll take many of the skilled ones but not all . So ubi really needs to be explored.
matrixman92
Member
you dont have to. Video showed the first guy scan phone on entry, puts phone in pocket, grabs food, then just leaves
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