Coming soon? Already here (so long as your definition of “here” includes Japan or China):
Why robots could soon replace fast food workers demanding higher minimum wage
People are demanding $15/hour to flip burgers, which would seem to be a whole lot of money for a job that requires virtually no skill. Robots can do these jobs *now.* However, do the math:
$15/hr, 40 hours a week, 52 weeks a year = $31,200. Add in benefits and social security taxes and whatnot, the cost to the company might be on the order of $40,000/year. I have doubts that a multi-functional robotic burger flipper can be procured for that amount, though a robotic noodle bar chef in China is reported to cost only $1500. This price would of course be much higher in the US, but as the cost of humans increases, the cost of robots will decrease, and one of these days entry-level positions, the sort of jobs high schoolers get, will no longer be available to humans.