Foxconn to Replace a Portion of its Workers with 1 Million Robots

Xinhuanet reports that Foxconn will be replacing some of its workers with 1 million robots in the next three years to cut rising labor costs and improve efficiency.
The robots will be used to do simple and routine work such as spraying, welding and assembling which are now mainly conducted by workers, said GouThe company currently has 10,000 robots and employs 1.2 million people. It's not clear how many jobs will be replaced by the robots.
Foxconn is Apple's primary partner in assembling the popular iPod, iPad, and iPhone lines and has been criticized for poor working conditions that may have contributed to a series of suicides at the plant.
In April, Engadget had previously pointed to this concept model FRIDA by ABB as the likely models for Foxconn, though the new report doesn't specify.
Top Rated Comments
(View all)24 months ago
Maybe the layed off employees can get a job building the robots that replaced them.
24 months ago
And this sets in motion the process of Foxconn opening a U.S. manufacturing plant in a few years.
Total number of employees: 6.
24 months ago
To those complaining: maybe we should also stop using word processing software and instead hire scribes to produce any written documents. Oh and while we're at it, let's stop using any mode of automated transportation and hire people to pull us on rickshaws.
24 months ago
Lesson taught... Go to college
That myth - go to college and get a good job - died long, long ago.
If you've had many friends with college degrees, including postgrad, they would be a very exceptional group if they all have good jobs. Chances are a good few of them are working boring and menial jobs far below the level they thought they were going to get, and a good few more are unemployed or barely getting by.
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