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Re: "Where are the robot bricklayers?". A very interesting read. However, I kept thinking - why are we still building with brick? It is energy-intensive to make bricks, and labor-intensive to use bricks for construction. At best, the robot can only reduce labor costs. In a world where we need to be more innovative in our use of materials to reduce GHG emissions, we would be better off avoiding brick (and concrete) as much as possible. However, the lessons concerning robots to automate construction with traditional bulk materials are useful and should temper the techno-utopians who think we can automate almost everything. I am still waiting for a fully automated self-driving car and how the manufacturer will solve the moral problems of who should die in an unavoidable collision. The automation of machine decision-making was alluded to in the movie "I, Robot" with Spooner wracked with survivor guilt when he was rescued by a humanoid robot, but a young girl in another car was not.

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I understand the inflationary impact on cars - chip shortage to complete vehicles. What I don't understand is the inflation in hotel rooms and airfares. Aren't these last 2 in abundance with a shortage of demand due to covid? Is it something to do with limited flights for citizens trying desperately to return home, and also needing places to stay with no recourse to avoid the gouging?

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Facebook & Spyware

That is doubleplus bad. It should be sufficient to have Congress take a more serious look at Facebook.

Pity Apple's halo is now tarnished with its intent to use AI to scan your content. Initially for child porn/abuse, but as the experts say, soon it will be mandated for other things by governments.

Marx wasn't quite right about capitalists selling the proles rope to be hanged themselves. Capitalists in tech will sell privacy destroying access that will eventually kill their own product.

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