Part 28 - Brave new world

Last week I went to Crown Casino in Perth for lunch, not because I am a gambler, but because they have cheap lunch deals.
However we dipped out as that was only Monday to Thursday and we chose to go on Friday so I was right on form as usual, but that's another story.

While I was waiting for my colleagues to pay for lunch ( I had already paid for mine in case you were wondering) I just stood there and looked around at this huge gaming area with flashing lights, bells and music.
One thing struck me immediately, apart from the lack of smiles on peoples faces, and that was the lack of staff.

Not that I'm saying that there aren't enough staff, just that everything that can be, is automated.

All the pokies are computerised, the money is handled by the machine, or added to a card by a machine with no human intervention. Many of the people in front of the machines look like machines as well with blank stares and push the button, wait, stare, push the button. Repeat.

There is even an automated roulette type wheel and the players have linked screens where they place their bets. The machine voice says no more bets then the wheel begins to spin all on its own, stops and pays out to the screen of anyone lucky enough to win.

Driving back from there I notice a new fixed speed camera on the side of the road. No longer police standing there with a radar but fixed cameras at intersections at regular intervals. The first thing you know these days when you've done something wrong is when you get the bill in the mail.

I used to be a great supporter of speed camera, but now that there are so many of them it's far easy to be penalised when you do make a legitimate mistake. We are human and if you try really hard to do the right thing you still make the odd mistake, and if there is  camera there when you do, it's another fine. I try not to make mistakes, but I am Human, no matter how much my wife begs to differ.
Roll on automated vehicles.

In the same vein this whole concept is to be extended, where the speed camera comes to you with an automated police motorcycle cruising the streets looking for offenders and issuing on the spot fines (literally) via apps or email.

At what point do we reach the limits of human concentration? We all know that there are very bad drivers out there that shouldn't be allowed on the road but at what point does an average person start to lose their license because they physically and mentally can't keep up the concentration 100% of the time. I know we should but I also know that we can't.

This could actually become a selling point when autonomous vehicles hit big time, and can also be used by government as a migration tool, but in the interim it is going to cause pain.

Add to that the new Crusin' parking inspectors that just drive by and the computer records the number plates of all vehicles it passes and ties it to a GPS system. This is recorded and on the next pass if the car is till there and has exceeded its limit an automated fine is produced.

So, whats the point of, well, pointing out all of the automation?

Don't get me wrong, I think a lot of it is great, but we do have the risk of people becoming more insular, with social interaction being reduced to the point that you can avoid human contact virtually altogether.
Virtual reality will make that even more of an issue.

On another note, Uber has started running autonomous cars in San Francisco.
Not everyone is happy.

Uber has not applied for a license and it looks like this may come to trading blows in court.

Merry Christmas all!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!