Chapter 1729 Future Shock Wave (third update, please subscribe)
"... The Soviet delegation represented by Kosigin and Minister of the Automobile Industry Tarasov. The main purpose of this trip was to negotiate the introduction of automobile production equipment and technology. This would be an order with a total amount of more than 2.5 billion yuan..."
2.5 billion yuan!
Such a huge order naturally attracted the attention of the SEA industry.
As long as you can take this order, all companies can make a fortune.
Because of this, the attention paid by Kosykin and his group were unprecedented - all the auto companies opened their doors to him!
Not only that, they can also visit the world's most advanced machines.
Standing in the spacious and bright workshop of the automobile manufacturer, Casykin stared at the scene in front of him: the huge robotic arms flexibly shuttled between the frames, and the welding flowers splashed everywhere, emitting dazzling blue light.
The movements of industrial robots seem mechanical, but they are very accurate. The silver-white car body continues to move forward with the welding of the automatic welding robot, as if all this is like a picture in a science fiction movie, making it hard to believe that this is true.
As for the Minister of the Automobile Industry, Tarasov simply opened his mouth wide, he knew about industrial robots.
It was first developed by SEA's enterprise. The first prototype of the industrial robot was produced in 1957 and was installed in the BMW automobile factory for die-casting and spot welding. Its production cost is 100,000 yuan, and its selling price is only 50,000 yuan - it is subsidized by the official.
Since then, BMW Automobile has installed 66 industrial robots, and Wuling has also become interested in this. Subsequently, industrial robots quickly became popular in SEA's automobile manufacturing plants.
But when they designed production lines for automobile manufacturing plants for the Soviet Union, industrial robots were ruled out for the simple reason - limited by the ban.
"Yes, this is industrial robots. I am still conducting research on this aspect at the moment."
Tarasov's answer made Kosykin's brow frown slightly, and as shock flashed in his eyes, there were more questions.
"Are these robots...their welded bodies really safe?"
Kosykin turned his head, with a hint of doubt in his tone, and looked at the BMW Motors manager who was accompanying him.
Zhang Dongjie smiled slightly, his tone was relaxed but with a little pride:
"Mr. Chairman, in the past few years, all body welding of every car we have produced has been done by robots. To be honest, if you have seen the white body of the welding line just off, you may think that this thing doesn't look very safe. But rest assured that our robot has been rigorously programmed and tested, the welding accuracy is far beyond manual operation, and the quality is absolutely reliable."
People will make mistakes, but machines controlled by programs will not make mistakes.
Kosykin nodded, but the doubts in his eyes did not completely dissipate. He continued to ask:
"So, these robots...how many workers' jobs have they replaced?"
Many people have asked this question. Zhang Dongjie pointed to the few workers in the workshop, and his tone was a bit emotional:
"In today's automobile factories, there are no more workers than before. Stamping, welding, painting... these tasks are almost done by robots. More than ten years ago, it was crowded here, but now, robots are far more efficient than humans, and we only need a few technicians to monitor and maintain them."
Robots replace workers!
This is exactly the reason why SEA promotes industrial robots, in order to replace part of human resources to save the use of human resources. After all, to a certain extent, the development of SEA has always been limited by the shortage of labor.
After a moment of silence, Kosykin's eyes swept through the cold robotic arms and busy robots in the workshop. A complex feeling surged in his heart. As the leader of the Soviet Union, he knew the importance of technological progress, but the scene in front of him made him feel a little uneasy.
He thought of the factories in the Soviet Union, which were still crowded with people, and the workers were busy on the assembly line, producing various machines with their own hands.
And here, industrial robots have replaced humans, at least to a certain extent.
"Machines replace humans...Is this capitalist choice?"
Kosykin whispered to himself, with a hint of worry in his tone.
Recognizing his emotions, Zhang Dongjie added with a smile:
"Mr. Chairman, technological progress is irreversible. Robots not only improve production efficiency, but also reduce costs. This is a good thing for enterprises and consumers. Our current industrial robot technology is very mature. Related companies are developing new types of industrial robots. I believe that industrial robots will play a greater role in the future factories."
After SEA invented the industrial robot arm, SEA's corporate competition continued to generate high demand for industrial robots. This stimulates further research and technological development, microprocessor development and other projects that contribute to the advancement of industrial robots.
In the past decade, various robots have been constantly invented, from robot arms with flexible joints to professional robots such as welding and spraying. The scope of industrial robots is becoming more and more widespread.
Almost everyone believes that industrial robots will definitely replace humans in the future.
And Kosigin didn't speak. His thoughts had flown back to the Soviet Union. He thought of the workers who relied on factories for a living, and the "full employment" policy that the Soviet government has always emphasized. In the Soviet Union, work was not only a means of making a living, but also a manifestation of dignity and value. And here, machines are depriving humans of job opportunities, and may even change the structure of the entire society, or even change the world.
"If machines replace humans, then where is the value of workers?"
Kosigin finally spoke with a hint of confusion in his tone:
"Or, when machines replace humans, what means should humans use to make a living? Manager Zhang, its use has caused many people to be unemployed! So how can you overcome unemployment in the future?"
After a moment of silence, Zhang Dongjie seemed to have not expected Kosykin to ask this question.
He thought for a moment and replied:
"Technological progress does bring some challenges, but this is also an inevitable trend in social development. Just like the emergence of Jenny spinning machines, which led to a large number of spinning workers being unemployed, but in the end people still adapted. I believe that with the development of society, while robots replace old labor positions, new labor positions will also appear."
After a little thought, Zhang Dongjie added:
"The reason we study industrial robots is to make workers work easier!"
Kosykin nodded, but he knew that the Soviet Union was essentially different from these capitalist countries. In the Soviet Union, the goal of technological progress was to benefit all the people, not to make a profit for a few. And here, the popularity of machines seems to be aggravating social differentiation.
He even saw that in the future, with the popularity of these industrial robots, the Western world will inevitably fall into a situation of high unemployment. By that time, what will be waiting for the Western world?
Is it just high unemployment?
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Of course this is impossible. For the Western world, high unemployment rates will inevitably bring social unrest, just like the Great Depression, where unemployed workers are everywhere.
At the same time, those greedy capitalists will continue to study industrial robots and respect industrial robots as the most. After all, industrial robots are cheaper than workers.
This has brought about a vicious cycle - industrial robots are becoming more and more advanced, and they will replace more and more workers, and at the same time, more and more workers will be unemployed.
What will those workers do when their jobs are replaced by industrial robots?
They will roar to the streets and vent their inner dissatisfaction in various ways.
By that time, the entire Western world will face more than social turmoil. Those unemployed workers will overturn everything like a tsunami.
"Is this the future?"
Looking at the industrial robots in front of you and the scene where their robotic arms work there, Kosykin seems to see the future—a future where the capitalist world is completely buried.
That future was not defeated by others, but was caused by science because they kept replacing humans with machines.
And angry workers will transform into tsunamis and swallow everything.
"Perhaps we need to rethink the meaning of technology."
Kosykin whispered, his eyes turning to the industrial robots that weld on both sides of the production line again.
He had already made up his mind: after returning to the Soviet Union, he had to discuss this issue with his friends. Technology progress is important, but it must not be at the expense of workers' interests.
Of course, on the other hand, Kosigin is also very clear that industrial robots are the future development direction.
Like a car manufacturer like this, it can produce millions of cars a year, while the number of workers is very limited.
The limited number of workers means they have lower production costs, which is why sEA cars are popular around the world.
How to balance all this?
Compared to Kosykin's inner worries, as the Minister of the Automobile Industry, Tarasov, watching the industrial robot arms waving in the air, seemed to see another scene in the welding flash - tanks!
If such industrial robots can be applied to tank production, the Soviet Union's tank production will definitely develop rapidly.
By then, the Soviet Union could even build tanks like a car, tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands of vehicles.
Just thinking about it makes me feel a little excited.
During this tour, everyone's ideas were different, some were worried about the future, while others were there to imagine the future.
But all of them were stunned by the factory that seemed to exist in a science fiction movie, after all, what they saw was the future.
(This chapter ends)