re: #443 Timothy Watson

That’s what I keep coming back to: McDonald’s and every other burger joint is obsessed with efficiency and optimization, if these machines were so cost-effective and such a great idea, why hasn’t McDonald’s started using them years ago?

I haven’t really followed the Momentum burger machine story very closely, but from what I can tell, the machine’s design doesn’t integrate with most fast food restaurants’ business model. Most fast food is already pre-processed via automated machines before it reaches the restaurant, relying on the final “assembly” by employees. The Momentum machine is designed to make the patties, slice the fixings etc…those tasks aren’t needed by the fast food companies.

Will some companies eventually use automation in the final assembly stage that supplants the need for humans to do those tasks? I expect so, though as Franklin and others have pointed out, many other tasks will still require humans. I don’t see automation as a threat to jobs. I also don’t see it being relevant to minimum wage rates, which should be based on cost of living and the economy as a whole.