Hi. If you can help me find a woman in her 60's who is currently working in a supermarket as a "check out chick", and who voted for trump, please let me know. I want to interview her. I'm working on a duet presentation and I need that voice. Here's the premise...

Yesterday Amazon launched “Amazon Go”.

Amazon Go is a new kind of store featuring the world’s most advanced shopping technology. No lines, no checkout – just grab and go!

Amazon Go is basically a number of cutting edge social, inventory, spacial, and product tracking technologies that work together to automate the process of paying for items in a “grocery store” type space. It’s the sort of technology that could be used in any kind of store. Watch this video to see how it all fits together.

Over the past 24hrs more than 2.6 million people have clicked on the YouTube video to find out more. It’s a striking concept. It’s disruptive and efficient.

Here’s my concern…

  • What impact will this have on jobs and society?
  • How does this fit into the new political movement of protectionism?
  • Is there anything we should do now to encourage to discourage technology companies like Amazon?

I expect that when Amazon launches their very first real world “Go” food store, in Seattle early next year, people will queue up around the block.

I personally love the idea. But is that enough?

What I love about Amazon Go is that it reflects everything I do on a daily basis as a software engineer.

I take complex things, simplify them, and automate them.

I love making “boring jobs” obsolete. My entire career is built around that single premise.

Here is my question.

On balance, do you think Amazon Go is a good idea?

Yes? No? Maybe?

It seems there is a growing divide in how people across the planet are responding to these sorts of technologies.

If you say “Yes” then how do you hope to account for economic displacement?

“No”? Then are you promoting a world in which these sorts of ideas are simply not “allowed”?

In my view Trump was elected in the name of those who have been left behind in the new wave of technology and innovation, just like Amazon Go.

In the promotion of this disruptive new technology I am surprised. Why is Amazon is not expected to provided a sort of “job displacement footprint report”.

  • Why are people not protesting out side Jeff Bezos house?
  • Are you a fan of Amazon Go?
  • What impact do you think it will have on your working life?