Forum Topic

Thanks Sue. I do try and be objective with my facts - and I usually post links that I think are more relevant so people can judge and challenge them themselves - sometimes that might be the Grauniad! (I post the links because I've been trained to give references to justify my reasoning.) I obviously have my opinons, which often diusagree with yours 😺 I do try to separate facts from opinions - ok, sometimes not successfully; some facts are generally accepted and I think indisputable with current knowledge (the speed oif light?); others  may be subject to different interpretations or challenged (government statistics). It's the freedom to debate and disagree that's important.Yes, automation is a fact of life: robots now replace or assist mundane and now complex manual jobs; those routine office jobs not alreasdy computerised will now be taken over or augmented by artificial intelligence - Microsoft announced today its new selection editorial proceeds was to move from people to AI (see link below, which has a brief note of it). What must be guarded against is introduction of automation in a way that further divides the haves who control the vautomation and the have nots left without a source of reasonable income. I have to say technolog, whether it's robotic paint spraying arms or nuclear energy, or drones doest scare me when properly tested and put to good use - it's the misuse to subjugate and control, or kill and maim people that does.https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/microsoft-is-replacing-some-of-its-editorial- be the grauhstaff-with-ai/articleshow/76102776.cms

Michael Ixer ● 2074d

@Sue. It is good news that Nissan are keeping the Sunderland plant. It looks like the decision is based around the realignment of technology focus and restructuring of its alliance with Renault and Mitsubishi. I see they are looking for more efficiency at Sunderland, I suspect that means more automation and fewer jobs? Is also worth noting that production at the closing Barcelona plant is moving to France (Renault) and South Africa - a change completely independent of the one to maintain the Sunderland facility. Sunderland has an advantage of already assembling electric vehicles, so it's obviously already in the vanguard of the motor industry's future. As some other plants are also remaining in Spain this seems to be a decision that is "agnostic" in terms of the EU or Brexit. Perhaps from a strategic view global companies just see Brexit as a bump in the road that will soon be flattened by economic necessity and that the manor issues are the lost venues from the pandemic and the future changes: in the motor industry's case to move from fossil fuels to renewable energy source. COVID-19 is providing an opportunity for many organisations to make changes they've been thinking about for ages and are now just force into making them (in some cases almost overnight) if they want to keep operating. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2020/05/27/business/corporate-business/nissan-renault-mitsubishi-costs-cut-alliance/https://europe.autonews.com/automakers/nissans-plan-close-barcelona-plant-draws-protests

Michael Ixer ● 2075d