“If I go to hotels, they always say, ‘Welcome back’, even when I’ve never been there before.“– Geena Davis
There’s a solution to Geena Davis’s problem. I don’t know if you’re going to like it. But I know the hotel workers of the world are scared to death of it. Even as the World Economic Forum projects that robots will create more jobs than they kill, hospitality workers around the world are talking unionizing to protect jobs if Alexa replaces them on the front desk.
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Automation/Future of Work–The New York Times reports that front desk robots and facial recognition may soon be coming to a hotel near you. And hotel workers around the world are not pleased.
—It’s not all bad news, according to a new report by the World Economic Forum. While 80 million jobs could vanish by 2022–robots will consume them– 133 million new ones could take their place. The question is, do the displaced workers possess the skills for the new jobs? They might not.
Peekaboo. I hope they see you.
—And maybe, just maybe, some technologies can help make things better for worker and customer alike. To that end, Walmart has placed an order for 17,000 Oculus Go headsets, with an aim toward using virtual reality in worker training.
Space Technology/Space Commerce–DARPA has awarded $1.3 million to a Plymouth University to conduct a feasibility study on a new space propulsion system called quantized inertia. It’s based on an idea to use light, rather than fuel, to create thrust.
–Meanwhile, NASA is concerned with what astronauts are going to eat on a 2 1/2 year journey to Mars and back. They can’t carry that much food with them, so they are going to have to be able to grow it.
Mars Base Alpha. 2028 or 2048–or never?
—Elon Musk continues to pursue an aggressive timeline for his SpaceX venture to colonize Mars. He now sets 2028 as the goal for establishing Mars Base Alpha. I’m not betting on it just yet…
—Less ambitious–and a safer bet for 2028–is the Chinese plan for that year. They propose to launch there gargantuan Long March 9 into low earth orbit that year, carrying as much as 140 tons of cargo.
–NASA…SpaceX…China…Russia…well, Japan beat them all. This week their space agency became the first to land rovers on an asteroid. They project to bring samples back by 2020.
Future Internet–Speaking at a private event earlier this week, former Google CEO warned that the internet may split completely in two by 2028. The issue is China, as they pursue their own agenda to censor much of the world’s content from their populace and create their own.
Seeking Delphi™ podcasts are available on iTunes, PlayerFM, or YouTube (audio with slide show) and you can also follow us on Twitter and Facebook
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