First Ejection Due to TrackMan in Atlantic League/Baseball History

Frank Viola is the first casualty in the war of man versus machine.

Baseball coach ejected for fighting with robot umpire

Automated Martyrdom

Just one inning into the "robot umpire" Trackman's major league debut, a human coach decided to pick a fight and got ejected from the game.

Baseball Coach Ejected for Fighting With Robot Umpire

He only lasted one inning before arguing about the strike zone.

"We can see the contours of something new, a society as distinct from our own as that of the 20th century from feudalism, or urban civilization from the life of the hunter-gatherer."

NYT calls for "fully automated luxury communism"

Support System

A new op-ed in the New York Times says that everyone can embrace a life of high-tech luxury, as long as the world embraces communism.

NYT Calls For “Fully Automated Luxury Communism”

Saving the world with new tech would require ending capitalism.

"The monotony in the store has increased a ton since we've gotten these robots."

Walmart employees hate their new robot coworkers

Coworker Concerns

Walmart executives have great things to say about their new robot workers, but human employees are less than thrilled about them.

Walmart Employees Hate Their New Robot Coworkers

The remaining humans feel undervalued after robots take over some tasks.

But there are still plenty of humans involved in preparing orders.

Amazon now has machines to automatically box up orders

Box Bots

According to a Reuters exclusive, Amazon is rolling out specially-made machines that are capable of boxing up orders — a job "held by thousands."

Amazon Now Has Machines to Automatically Box Up Orders

Amazon's goal is reportedly a "light's out' warehouse," void of humans.

Nations would be better off improving public services, say the report's authors.

Huge analysis finds "no evidence" basic income is sustainable

Temporary Fix

An analysis of 16 basic income projects concluded that giving people free money simply wouldn't be sustainable for any nation in the long term.

Huge Analysis Finds “No Evidence” Basic Income Is Sustainable

UBI couldn't help any nation over the long term, a new report concludes.

But right now, humans are still better merch pickers.

Amazon says it could have fully automated warehouses in 10 years

Jobs Lost

Amazon warehouses could be fully automated in about a decade, but for now, humans are still better than bots at picking merchandise.

Amazon Says It Could Have Fully Automated Warehouses in 10 Years

Amazon workers' jobs are safe — for now.

"What happens when soulless artificial intelligence, devoid of feeling or emotion, is called upon to make moral or ethical choices on our behalf?"

Meet the rabbi fighting back against AI armageddon

Last Stand

Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis wants to make sure that AI is built to serve, not conquer humanity, and wants to make sure important choices aren't automated.

Meet the Rabbi Fighting Back Against AI Armageddon

Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis is troubled by AI that makes morals-based decisions.

"Amazon’s system tracks the rates of each individual associate’s productivity."

Amazon used an AI to automatically fire low-productivity workers

AI Boss

Amazon's AI automatically tracked and fired hundreds of fulfillment center employees for failing to meet productivity quotas.

Amazon Used An AI to Automatically Fire Low-Productivity Workers

It's a grim glimpse of a future in which AI is your boss — and you're disposable.

"The path from here to figuring it out is fraught with a lot of misery and suffering."

Andrew Yang's goal: steer us away from a bleakly dystopian future

Yang Gang

In a bleak profile by The Verge, 2020 presidential hopeful Andrew Yang lays out his grim vision of the future — if automation remains unchecked.

Andrew Yang’s Goal: Steer Us Away From a Bleakly Dystopian Future

Is the presidential hopeful the answer to a rapid decline in financial security and mental health?

This grouchy employee hates Walmart's new floor-scrubbing robots

No Scrubs

An employee shares his experience working with Walmart robots, which are supposed to make his job easier but instead add to his workload.

/Automation