[pnongrata]

I think a more accurate headline would be "Banks to cut 200k jobs over Robots".

Robots don't take jobs. Managers replace workers.

[nabla9]

Even more accurate "Banks to cut 200k jobs over chatbots"

Software agent aka bot is not a robot. Robot is physical device. ATM is more robot-like than chatbot.

[mac01021]

That's already how everyone is reading the existing headline, though. It's not like anyone is being misled (I don't think)

[pnongrata]

It's important to say it as it is. People tend to treat it as a 'natural' thing, instead of a business decision to cut costs.

[Nasrudith]

With competition it is a red queen's race unfortunately. It is natural in an emergent sense even though the circumstances are synthetic. If they don't someone else will and even if they held existing jobs sancrosanct they will be displaced by a new party who doesn't have existing jobs to protect.

[dropit_sphere]

We don't get to choose whether we're in the race or not, but we do get to choose how we run it. I get the "these are forces at work, not humans" argument, but I think it underestimates the solution space available to the humans in the scenario (to be fair, they probably do too).

[pnongrata]

I agree that that is the case.

Somewhere down the road some kind of intervention will be necessary, as too much will be on the line.

[rejschaap]

Cost reduction sounds like a natural thing for a business in a healthy market economy.

[pnongrata]

Cutting hundreds of thousands of jobs seems very far from 'natural' or 'healthy'.

[Nasrudith]

Nature is pretty damn cruel and selfish at times. Just because it utterly sucks doesn't mean it isn't natural - similarly healthy has the question of healthy for who and when?

Illness in herd animals is healthy for wolves by making them easier to kill without injury.

The industrial revolution saw major growing pains and destitution but raised standards of living greatly.

[pnongrata]

Your somewhat patronizing analogy misses the point. If our ultimate goal as a species is to survive and live well, then cutting hundreds of thousands (millions, actually, if you think about the implications of automation in other areas) is in conflict with that goal, thus 'unnatural'.

[Frost1x]

Those robots can be quite the opportunists with their consciousness and all.

[jermaustin1]

I'm tired of all these robots coming to this country and taking our jobs!

[josefresco]

Small tweak: Executives at the behest of shareholders instruct managers to replace workers.

[lotsofpulp]

Expand shareholders to people with savings such as 401k, 529, IRAs, HSAs, defined benefit pensions, etc.