Nice, But Tell Me When It’ll Do My Laundry

I admit some fascination with intelligent home automation – the thermostat that adjusts to the weather forecast, the front door light that comes on when I walk up (assuming my phone’s in my pocket).  But all too frequently when I'm gushing over the latest, someone says, "That's nice, but tell me when it'll do my laundry."

For everyone who uses that line, this YouTube video is your heads up - it may be time to start working on a new comeback.


(Use this link if the video does not appear:  https://youtu.be/2Uay9hzwusk)

OK, you're right.  The clothes going into this machine look better than mine, even after they're ironed.  And someone is entering the type of item and placing them carefully into the feeder.  But we're getting close.

Of course, home convenience is one thing.  Work is another, and this is where intelligent automation stands to make dramatic impacts on our world.  The trouble is, no one seems to know what that impact might be.  A headline like 'Artificial Intelligence Will Wipe Out Half the Banking Jobs in a Decade' is followed by another that says, 'AI Robots Won't Kill the Banks.'  About the only thing of certainty is that the future is both exciting and a bit concerning.

My take on what's in store for us?  You'll be able to find out in about 2 months when Retroscape:  A Near Future Mystery is released (see http://brucemperrin.blogspot.com/p/killer-in-retroscape.html).  Yes, it's fiction, but it's vision of the future is based on today's technologies - those little conveniences that will someday reshape our lives.