When i think of “automation” the first thing i think of is self-service checkouts:
They don’t work very well, they’re annoying to use, it means there are less jobs, and it means we all interact with other humans less. Assuming you’re not a supermarket big boss or a psychopath, it’s fairly safe to say that self-service checkouts made the world worse.
Perhaps there’s some sick part of you that likes it like “thank goodness i don’t need to interact with a human when i do my shopping” but it’s the same part of you that says “yes i’ll have one more chocolate despite having had twenty today” and “no i don’t think I’ll do that chore that’s been hanging over me for a week i think I’ll play video games instead”: It’s the part of you that reaches for what you want but not necessarily what you need.
It doesn’t take much to automate a task. The technology behind the self-service checkout isn’t particularly special or impressive.
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