"We see an improvement in stores with the robots, but we don’t see enough of an improvement."

Walmart gave up on its inventory robots

Bye, Bots

Walmart has decided to give up on using inventory robots. Find out why they aren't as good at tracking inventory as humans.

Walmart Gives Up on Inventory Robots | Futurism

An ambitious push to automate its stores fell flat.

Walmart Is Giving Up on Its Inventory Robots

Engineers built an AI-powered robot to take your blood

Nurse Ratchet 

Would having a robot draw your blood make the process easier? Thanks to engineers at Rutgers University that may soon be an option.

Engineers Built an AI-Powered Robot to Take Your Blood

This little bot wants your blood.

$1,000 a month to a new person for each robot it sells.

Robot bartender developer wants to pay the humans it replaces

Severance Package

Makr Shakr, the company behind a robot bartender called Toni, says it will offer monthly stipends to displaced workers for every robot it sells.

Robot Bartender Developer Wants to Pay the Humans It Replaces

Makr Shakr says it'll give out a new monthly stipend for every robot it sells.

"The state and the economy are advancing by storm — but the workers are almost not benefitting from this progress and are left behind. It is almost a catastrophe."

Futurist predicts "the end of the world as we know it"

Hollowing Out

Future studies researcher Roey Tzezana says workplace automation will mean the destruction of the middle class and the "end of the world as we know it."

Futurist Predicts “The End of the World as We Know It”

"This figure is the end of the world for the average people."

If a robot steals your job, this might be how you earn a living.

This company is paying people $1,830 to film them constantly

Cost of Living

Four Japanese people agreed to give up their privacy and let cameras record their every move at home for a month for 200,000 yen, or $1,830.

This Company Is Paying People $1,830 to Film Them Constantly

Cameras will record them everywhere but the bathroom for an entire month.

Unsurprisingly, workers loved the long weekends.

Microsoft Japan tried a four-day workweek. Productivity spiked.

Long Weekends

Switching to a four-day workweek boosted productivity by nearly 40 percent at Microsoft Japan, a sign that the change could benefit employers and employees.

Microsoft Japan Tried a Four-Day Workweek. Productivity Spiked.

It also cut down on the company's environmental impact.

And there are a couple of major problems with that.

21 states are using AI to grade essays on standardized tests

Down Grade

The AI systems now used to grade essays on standardized tests in 21 states are deeply flawed, according to a new Motherboard investigation.

21 States Are Using AI to Grade Essays on Standardized Tests

And the systems are doing a terrible job.

When it comes to managerial tasks, most Chinese workers would rather take orders from a robot.

88 percent of Chinese workers would prefer a robot boss

"Loving And Gratifying"

A small survey shows that most Chinese workers would prefer to be managed by an impartial AI algorithm or "robot boss" than a human.

88 Percent of Chinese Workers Would Prefer a Robot Boss

Middle managers: consider yourselves warned.

A drone with a nail gun for autonomous roofing

Hey, roofers: this robot is coming for your job.

Researchers strapped a nail gun to an autonomous drone

Heads Up

Researchers created an autonomous roofing drone by strapping a nail gun to an octocopter and using cameras and markers to teach it where to place nails.

Researchers Strapped a Nail Gun to an Autonomous Drone

There’s no way this could go wrong.

"Humans will always want to talk to other humans. The reason is that only other humans really understand us."

In a strange twist, this AI tries to teach empathy to humans

Sub-optimal Cheeriness Detected

A pharmacy call center has deployed AI that coaches human employees how to have more empathy with frustrated customers on the phone.

/ automation