> The point of automation isn’t to have 0 longshoremen / dock workers. It’s to increase throughput. Some mega ports in Europe and China are great examples of what a modern, efficient port could look like. The entire country benefits from not having each port union strategically prevent high throughput.
No, not quite. The point of automation isn't to increase throughput, it's to lower costs. People often conflate the two, but when you look at many other examples of automation (such as things like self-checkout) they are actually really inefficient compared to just having a human do the job. But they (arguably) cost less than hiring a human, so we end up having a worse overall system while the company brings in more profit. It's the same for customer service, moderation etc.
This isn't to say all automation is this way, but I feel like people fail to look at the actual downstream effects of automation and just repeat an axiom.
Automation increases throughput in the same way you no longer have to wait for the gas station attendant to pump your gas. Large stations with 16+ pumps don’t need to hire several attendants.
Automation can lower costs. No tall building needs to hire a dedicated elevator driver these days. If a job is make-work, then I’m fine with it being automated away.
No child wakes up and dreams of being a barcode scanning drone for a living. We need some people to work transactions at retail shops, but I’m completely capable of using self-checkout and just as fast as professional checkers.
Maybe apply your axion heterodox thinking to your own ideas before you ask others to undo it with theirs.
No, not quite. The point of automation isn't to increase throughput, it's to lower costs. People often conflate the two, but when you look at many other examples of automation (such as things like self-checkout) they are actually really inefficient compared to just having a human do the job. But they (arguably) cost less than hiring a human, so we end up having a worse overall system while the company brings in more profit. It's the same for customer service, moderation etc.
This isn't to say all automation is this way, but I feel like people fail to look at the actual downstream effects of automation and just repeat an axiom.