Technology has been changing the way we work since the time of the Industrial Revolution. Most recently, automation has shifted the job market and the economy — and not always for the better. As many as 47 percent of all US jobs may be automated out of existence in the next 20 years, according to researchers at Oxford.
Jobs that involve repetitive actions and don’t require as much creativity are most at risk. So, it’s not really a surprise to hear that robots may be coming for our pizza delivery jobs. Last month, Domino’s Pizza and Ford Motor Company announced that they’re testing out self-driving pizza delivery cars.
This Isn’t Domino’s First Robot Rodeo
Domino’s has demonstrated a sustained commitment to developing this technology. During the last couple of years, they’ve been testing pizza-delivering robots in Australia and New Zealand. The company has used drones and self-driving pods to deliver to customers who lived within one mile of a Domino’s store in the suburbs of Whangaparaoa, New Zealand.
“As delivery experts,we’ve been watching the development of self-driving vehicles with great interest as we believe transportation is undergoing fundamental, dramatic change,” Patrick Doyle, President and CEO of Domino’s, said in a statement, per AOL.
Ann Arbor, Michigan Will Be the First Test City in the US
Now, Domino’s has partnered with Ford to give pizza-delivery robots a try in the US. Self-driving research cars will start delivering pizzas in the Ann Arbor, Michigan area in the coming weeks. One of the largest self-driving car research facilities in the world, Mcity, is located in the area, at the University of Michigan.
Ford has been working on their Fusion Hybrid autonomous cars, which will be used to deliver the pizzas in Ann Arbor, for years. The company has even made a commitment to release a fleet of self-driving taxis by 2021.
Participating pizza delivery customers in Ann Arbor will receive a text message when their pizza is close. Then, they will head out to the curb to meet it. Next, they’ll enter a provided code to unlock a compartment in the back of the car to get their order.
Humans won’t be entirely cut out of the equation in the short-term. Researchers and engineers will be driving the cars for now and recording information about the delivery service. However, this kind of technology could certainly be a threat to workers further down the road.
Tell Us What You Think
How do you think this new technology will change the job market? We want to hear from you! Leave a comment or join the discussion on Twitter.
Leave a Reply