Foxconn to Replace Workers With 1 Million Robots

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Posted July 31, 2011 at 7:22pm by Shalom Levytam

Foxconn is planning to replace some of its workers with 1 million robots in the next three years, reports Xinhua. Terry Gou, founder and chairman of the company, said that utilizing robots would cut rising labor costs and improve efficiency.

The robots will be used to do simple and routine work such as spraying, welding and assembling which are now mainly conducted by workers, said Gou at a workers' dance party Friday night. The company currently has 10,000 robots and the number will be increased to 300,000 next year and 1 million in three years, according to Gou.

Foxconn assembles numerous products for Apple and has been widely criticized for a string of employee suicides. The company employees 1.2 million people; however, it unclear how many would be replaced by these robots.

[via MacRumors]

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Nobo1 - August 1, 2011 at 8:52pm

What happens the day a million robots are working and BOOM! A power cut! Billions of yuan lost! They have non stop stream of cheap labour who are unhappy cuz they have to take rest days! Robots... Skynet here we come! Hey maybe they can build the "iRobot" an have will smith to promote them XD

Ash - August 1, 2011 at 8:08pm

Do we really need more robots, people need to eat, not require another gadget. terminator could be a reality.....

smate333 - August 1, 2011 at 5:26am

In 50 years will be the end of the robotic era, a great uprising will result in the reinstatement of human labor force and machines will be denied for type of work humans can do...

Maded - July 31, 2011 at 9:55pm

Singularity

Knoxonwoox - July 31, 2011 at 9:35pm

The terminators era is near folks....be prepared

catsrules - August 1, 2011 at 2:32am

Yeah soon Frida is going to start shooting Iphones at you

nir-hus - July 31, 2011 at 7:37pm

How many robots would follow the path of the former workers...at some point the price of manufacturing will reach almost zero impact cost from manual labor.