Monday, October 31, 2016

Why Singapore wants its food courts to be run by machines, not people...

Singapore’s latest quest to boost productivity is playing out at a busy food court in the second terminal of Changi Airport.

There, hungry passengers can select their chicken rice or bowl of noodles from a machine, pay with a credit card and collect their food -- all with minimal human interaction and in stark contrast with the abundant manpower commonly used in food courts elsewhere on the island.

It’s this kind of automated initiative that’s popping up more frequently across Singapore -- from self-driving taxis to face-reading payment systems for rail commuters -- as the city state grapples with a rapidly aging population, falling fertility rates and a slump in economic growth. With authorities restricting the inflow of foreign workers after a backlash against immigration, Singapore is increasingly turning to machines to replace low-end manpower.

“Productivity is a vital component of growth especially for when labor contribution to growth is declining, especially in advanced economies such as Singapore,” said David Mann, chief economist for Asia at Standard Chartered Plc. “Singapore has been trying to be on the cutting edge of applying more automation.” Full story...

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