Nicholas West: In the ongoing debate as to whether robots will
help or hurt the job market in the U.S. and overseas, some concrete answers are beginning to appear.
Foxconn is a Chinese electronics manufacturer of mobile devices and gaming consoles. The company has been the target of negative news lately about work conditions that have led to mutiny and suicides. They are a supplier of Apple, Kindle, Xbox 360 and others, so the spotlight has been shining.
Now it seems that Foxconn would like to replace these troublesome humans demanding rights and fair pay with robots.
The first fleet has arrived ...
Foxconn's plants have the population of entire cities; the largest is known as "Foxconn City" and is estimated to have upwards of 450,000 workers and covers 1.6 square miles. The Foxconn plants are together responsible for the assembly of 40% of the world's consumer electronic products. What happens at Foxconn should signal a trend for what is likely to happen elsewhere.
Foxconn is a Chinese electronics manufacturer of mobile devices and gaming consoles. The company has been the target of negative news lately about work conditions that have led to mutiny and suicides. They are a supplier of Apple, Kindle, Xbox 360 and others, so the spotlight has been shining.
Now it seems that Foxconn would like to replace these troublesome humans demanding rights and fair pay with robots.
The first fleet has arrived ...
Foxconn's plants have the population of entire cities; the largest is known as "Foxconn City" and is estimated to have upwards of 450,000 workers and covers 1.6 square miles. The Foxconn plants are together responsible for the assembly of 40% of the world's consumer electronic products. What happens at Foxconn should signal a trend for what is likely to happen elsewhere.