Keller @ Large: Is Amazon's Technology Moving Too Fast For Us?
BOSTON (CBS) - Governor Charlie Baker, Senator Elizabeth Warren and other top pols will be in Fall River Friday for the opening of a major new Amazon distribution center, with all its high-tech bells and whistles.
And I join them in celebrating Amazon's ongoing investments in the Massachusetts economy. Who doesn't love the convenience of shopping on Amazon, and the ways they're pushing the envelope of consumer technology?
Or at least, most of the ways.
This is Amazon's vision of our food shopping future - no lines, no checkouts, no registers.
You'll walk into an Amazon Go store, scan your smart phone, and load up your shopping bag. Each item you take off a shelf is logged on your phone. Change your mind about an item, and it's duly noted. When you're done, you just walk out, and your account is automatically charged.
Yes, this will mean no more jobs for cashiers or baggers. New jobs will be created, but it's unclear if over time, there will be a net increase in employment. That hasn't been the experience with automation so far. Look, I am not a luddite, I like new technology and endorse it's pursuit.
But there's something hinky about this concept.
Computers can seize up, camera angles can be obscured. Some of us might miss the interaction with other humans. What happens when you need cleanup on aisle three?
As I said, I love Amazon and am happy to see them investing here. But when I hear them comparing Amazon Go to the self-driving car, I think of my worst nightmare - self-driving cars on the roads around here.
And I hope they take it slow.