One Million Robots to Take Over Jobs of Foxconn Workers

By Jane McEntegart
published

Foxconn aims to use one million robots in three years time as part of an effort to tackle rising labor costs.

Foxconn's employment practices often make the news and the company last week hit the headlines once again. This time, it's the company's intention to use robots to replace some of its staff that has chins wagging. Xinhua News Agency cites Foxconn founder and chairman Terry Gou as saying the company plans to replace a portion of its staff with one million robots to cut rising labor expenses and improve efficiency. According to Xinhua, Foxconn currently uses 10,000 robots. the electronics giant aims to up this number to 300,000 next year and one million in three years time.

Foxconn currently employs over 900,000 people in its factories. Gou says the robots will be performing simple tasks such as spraying, welding and assembling. These are all tasks currently carried out by human employees.

Reuters cites Gartner analyst C.K. Lu who says thanks to sharply rising employment costs, Foxconn essentially has no choice but to replace workers with robots.

"Rising salary costs should be the key reason why Foxconn is doing this. This year's wage increase has been quite significant and I don't expect the pace to slow down next year," Lu said, adding, "If they don't do this, they will have to move their factories elsewhere."

Further Reading

Xinhua News Agency: Foxconn to replace workers with 1 million robots in 3 years

Reuters: Foxconn to rely more on robots; could use 1 million in 3 years

Jane McEntegart
86 Comments Comment from the forums
  • buzznut
    So..how long before the robots start jumping out the windows?
    Reply
  • MasterMace
    Robots are pretty dumb, so it might take 2 years for them to jump out instead of 1.
    Reply
  • dstln
    Poor foxconn. Whatever would happen if they'd have to pay workers wages that don't make them want to kill themselves.

    Of course the end buyers don't care either way.
    Reply
  • kinggraves
    Robots making computers...how long until Foxconn changes it's name to Skynet?

    Still, considering China practically drops these people into their jobs and expects them to do it for life, what happens to the laid off employees? They'd better install some trampolines because there's going to be a lot of jumping.
    Reply
  • freggo
    Time for Foxconn to find a low wage country for outsourcing!
    Welcome to the club :-)
    Reply
  • jj463rd
    kinggravesRobots making computers...how long until Foxconn changes it's name to Skynet?Still, considering China practically drops these people into their jobs and expects them to do it for life, what happens to the laid off employees? They'd better install some trampolines because there's going to be a lot of jumping.
    Nothing really amazing about it.I remember reading about Apple Computers building a automated robotic factory to produce the Macintosh all the way back in the early 1980's in California.
    http://books.google.com/books?id=mXnw5tM8QRwC&pg=PA170&lpg=PA170&dq=Sand+Macintosh+factory&source=bl&ots=PxEoa26p4M&sig=VlECF2GPxMZlbTpSyF1bOstLAbI&hl=en&ei=wx0-Tp-_B4nXiALXh9zDBg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CBYQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=Sand%20Macintosh%20factory&f=false
    Reply
  • Azn Cracker
    The Chinese are too damn expensive!
    Reply
  • bokuden
    Time to move the factories to Ethiopia!
    Reply
  • wintermint
    buzznutSo..how long before the robots start jumping out the windows?
    Nice one! But seriously.. they don't deserve to be overworked like this :x
    Reply
  • randomizer
    Reuters cites Gartner analyst C.K. Lu who says thanks to sharply rising employment costs, Foxconn essentially has no choice but to replace workers with robots.
    Option #2 was replace executives with robots.
    Reply