The Robots Are Coming...For Your Burrito Bowls

JULIA SPENCER-FLEMING: As a science fiction lover from an early age (Star Trek: the Original Series, y’all) I’ve been fascinated by the concept of robots for a long time. The origin of the word, for those of you who might not have taken Early 20th Century Theater in college*, comes from R.U.R (Rossum’s Universal Robots) by Czech playwright Karl Čapek. The Czech word robota refers to the forced labor of serfs or slaves - yeah, think about that the next time you turn on your Roomba.

 

 

Most of the robots in popular culture dating back to the 1920s are, well, sexy. Interesting. Dramatic. Think of the famous machine-person in Metropolis, or the menacing Gort in The Day the Earth Stood Still. (“Klaatu barada nikto!”) Rutger Hauer breaking your heart in Blade Runner and Data charming you in Star Trek: The Next Generation. I won’t even get into the vast number of SF films that feature the so-very-not original “beautiful robot girl who will also kill you.” (For an interesting gender twist on the old chestnut, see Ich bein dein Mensch /I’m Your Man on Hulu.)

 

Sadly, in our world, we are not getting sexy, interesting or dramatic robots. We’re getting burrito bowl makers.

That’s right. Soon, your dinner at Chipotle’s (which dubs itself a “fast casual” restaurant) will be courtesy of Chippy the tortilla chip maker, Autocado, which preps avocados (get it?) and a third robot, sadly without a cutesy name, that assembles salads and burrito bowls. On the one hand, there won’t be much chance of catching e. Coli from our machine friends. On the other hand, goodbye to another swathe of $15/hour jobs.

What’s next? Robby the Robot flipping burgers at Mickey D’s? (“Danger of cholesterol, Will Robinson!”) The Terminator serving you mozzarella sticks at Applebees? (“I’ll be back…with your margaritas.”

What do you think of mechanical meal makers, Reds? And are there any other services you’d rather see robots perform?

 

*See, Dad, it wasn't a waste of money after all! 

 

HALLIE EPHRON: Mechanical meal makers seem scary to me. Last weekend I was in the airport watching a worker assemble breakfast sandwiches at a Tim Horton’s and thinking how mind numbingly repetitive the work must feel. But it’s a way to make a living… until the robots take over.

My son-in-law is a robotics engineer and I’m endlessly fascinated by his work. For a while he was working on a robotic arm that could perform colon surgery. They were testing it on a pig. TMI, I know. And he worked on the digger arm of the first Mars lander. I think his company has been acquired by Amazon. Figures.

HANK PHILLIPPI RYAN: I remember reading R.U.R.! I adored it, and tried to look for other plays like it. LOVE that you know it, too! I still think about it.

Welp, I feel bad for the poor salad-making robot with no cute name. The Mixinator? And the burrito bowl maker could be Bowlene. (Bowlene, Bowlene, Bowlene, Bowlene–I'm beggin’ of you, please don't take  my man.) (See? The humans could sing it. It’s the first anti-robot union song.)

 Love it for the practicality, I loathe it for the job-taking. It’s such a quandary in progress and transition. 

Other services. Potato peeling. Laundry. But wow,the advances in medicine and prosthetics are incredible.

RHYS BOWEN:  my grandson is currently doing his masters in robotics and interested in remote surgery. Huge potential there! A robot saves a life in an operation in Africa directed by a surgeon here. And I can see robots doing repetitive jobs, chicken plucking, vegetable planting … but there are humans who need those jobs. 

 

What will happen when all low end jobs are done by robot?  

When I was young there were hundreds of women who worked the factory production lines. Boring repetitive work but they chatted with each other and made money for their families.  I’m really concerned for the future. 

 

 

 

 

 

JENN McKINLAY: Bring on the robots! No one should have to do those boring jobs for a rate of pay that is abysmal. Isn’t the whole point of having mechanical help so that people can pursue even bigger and bolder ideas, innovations, and art? Just think, if robots take over doctoring, then healthcare could be free and people wouldn’t be slaves to jobs they hate just for benefits because the insurance and pharmaceutical industries have made life virtually impossible without benefits. People could be happy pursuing their dreams and not risk bankruptcy over an appendicitis because the family robot could fix them right up. 

 

Yes, I’m joking, but…am I? I drive past driverless cars every single day now. It’s becoming common. So, bring on the burrito bowl robots. People have better things to do or they would if they didn’t have to make burrito bowls.

DEBORAH CROMBIE: I do worry about the people losing their jobs, and while I'd like to think they could find something better, I'm not convinced that they can. And I worry that every bit of human interaction we lose makes us a little less…human. We are all online orders and phone trees and more and more removed from dealing with other people. I know I sound like a real Luddite here, and I think the scientific and medical uses for robotics are amazing and fantastic. But… Progress marches on, and I do love Chipotle, by the way, so I will check out our local robots at the first opportunity. 

 

JULIA: How about you, dear readers? Are you in the Luddite camp with Debs, or do you welcome our robotic overlords like Jenn? 

 

The Robots are Coming! by Jenn McKinlay

Jenn McKinlay: When I was a kid, I was a huge fan of The Jetsons and Lost in Space, mostly watched as after school reruns. I genuinely believed that by the time I reached adulthood, I'd have a flying car and a robot companion. "Danger, Will Robinson!" You can imagine my disappointment that none of these things have manifested.

But then, I was driving through Tempe with Hooligan 2 and his Plus 1 as we were looking at off campus apartments when what do I see but a food delivery robot. I kid you, not. 

I watched it navigate the crosswalk at a busy intersection and roll on its merry way. I have to admit I wished I lived closer to campus just so I could give it a go. Maybe when I visit the Hooligans in their new digs. 

Playmate Pet

As things always seem to pop up in waves, I was chatting with some lifelong friends about their 92 year old mother and her new dog, Funzie. Even though she's as sharp as ever, living alone can be isolating for someone who doesn't have the same autonomy they once had. Enter Funzie, the robotic pet, who responds to her voice and is a cuddly, interactive companion. She looooooves him.

Of course, there are all sorts of innovative technologies like Alexa, Siri, smart appliances that tell you when you leave the door open, and task specific robots, like the roomba, and now what I would call the lawnba, a robotic lawnmower, which Hub has been lobbying for quite ardently. Yes, there really is. See below.

Roomba

Robotic lawnmower - Husqvarna

Personally, I am still waiting for that one size does all robot who cooks, cleans, does the yard work and now, of course, it needs to take the self driving car and bring me food, preferably while doing my taxes.

In the meantime, as an author, I wonder how much do I need to work new technology into my stories? For example, if the roomba tries to clean up the murder victim at a crime scene, what does that story read like? Tracks of blood all ver the house? If Alexa is "listening", did she hear the person being murdered? If they screamed "Knife!" did she put an order of new ginsus into the victm's Amazon cart? Yes, these are the things I ponder as we roll into this technologically advanced society.

How about you, Reds and Readers, what robotic interactions have you had lately? If you read a mystery with a food delivery robot in it would it seem reasonable or pull you out of the story? Asking for a friend :)

Fry Me Another! by Jenn McKinlay

Jenn McKinlay: Okay, so a million years ago, when dinosaurs roamed the earth -- no, wait, we haven't been married that long! Let me start again, when Hub and I got married, I was told by many girlfriends that appliances as gifts were the kiss of death to romance. They told me that the minute you go from flowers and chocolate to a new iron, your relationship is like a shark that has stopped moving -- dead, deader, deadest. Yes, that's a thing.

Fast forward twenty years and enter middle age, and I still love flowers and chocolate but what I really want, no need, is Rosie, the robot maid, from the Jetsons, but that's a whole other post. Where is my domestic robot? I'm looking at you, Tesla! 

Hanna-Barbera / Everett Collection

In the meantime, I will take any appliance that saves me time, because with everyone moving at the speed of light around here, going in a million different directions, I need all the time savers I can get. So, this Christmas, abandoning all romance, I was surprised with an air fryer. A what dryer, you ask? An air fryer! And, let me just say, I wanted one and it is the bomb! Which is super accurate because it rather looks like one, too.

Jenn's Air Fryer in Action!

So far, I've made Poutine and fried chicken, natch. Next up is empanadas or fried apple slices - I haven't decided yet. Either way, it's so much fun to have something new to utilize in the kitchen

My first attempt: Poutine (French fries with gravy and cheese curds)!

Amazing fried chicken!: Recipe from My Forking Life

Next, I really want one of those thing-a-ma-jobs that vacuums while you sleep. I mean flowers are pretty and candy is dandy, but an extra half hour in my day not spent sweeping up dog and cat hair is the shazam! Good thing my birthday is coming up! 

So, what about you, Reds and Readers, what's on your appliance/gadget want list?