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Foxconn starts replacing workers with robots

by on13 November 2012



They don’t riot or talk to the press


Reports about riots, poor working conditions and even suicides at Foxconn could soon become a thing of the past.

Earlier this year the company announced plans to replace some of its workers with robots and within three years Foxconn robots, dubbed Foxbots, could replace as many as a million workers.

The first batch of 10,000 robots has already arrived and by the end of the year Foxconn aims to install 20,000. Not good news for the employment rate, but it’s not like anyone in China has to worry about re-election or unions.

The robots were built by Foxconn, so little is known about them, but it’s apparent that they are designed for simple, repetitive actions. Basically they are designed to do what robots are best at and what tends to drive us mere mortals insane.

Furthermore, the robots are rather cheap, with an estimated cost between $20,000 and $25,000. An average Foxconn worker earns that much in three years, so looking ahead it won’t take Foxconn too long to recoup the investment.

More here.

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