The TechMobility Podcast
Welcome to The TechMobility Podcast, your ultimate source for authentic insights, news, and perspectives at the nexus of mobility and technology. We're all about REAL FACTS, REAL OPINIONS, and REAL TALK! From personal privacy to space hotels, if it moves or moves you, we're discussing it! Our weekly episodes venture beyond the conventional, offering a unique, unfiltered take on the topics that matter. We're not afraid to color outside the lines, and we believe you'll appreciate our bold approach!
The TechMobility Podcast
The Battle Between Farmers and Big Ag; Subaru BRZ Coupe review; When Others Pay Your Rent; and No Humans, Dark Factory
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The digital transformation of agriculture takes center stage as we dive into John Deere's strategic acquisition of Sentera, a company revolutionizing farming through drone-based imaging technology. This partnership promises farmers unprecedented precision in weed management and resource allocation, potentially saving thousands in herbicide costs while reducing environmental impact. But beneath this technological marvel lies a troubling question: who truly owns the data collected from America's farmland?
When sophisticated drones map every inch of your fields and AI algorithms generate detailed prescriptions for your crops, that information becomes incredibly valuable. Farmers are increasingly concerned about losing control of their own data as it flows into corporate systems. What happens when you want to switch equipment manufacturers? Can agricultural giants sell or leverage your field data without your explicit consent? These questions remain largely unaddressed by current regulations, creating a growing tension between technological advancement and farmer autonomy.
The show shifts gears to explore the Subaru BRZ TS Coupe, a pure driving machine that sacrifices practicality for performance with its STI-tuned suspension, upgraded Brembo braking system, and boxer engine design. We then examine the rapidly expanding rent guarantor market, where third-party companies are filling gaps for renters with irregular income patterns or credit challenges – but at a premium cost of 75-150% of monthly rent.
Finally, we peek into manufacturing's future as automakers test increasingly sophisticated robots, moving steadily toward "dark factories" with minimal human presence. This automation revolution promises efficiency but raises profound questions about employment in an industry that once provided solid middle-class livelihoods for generations of American workers. What does this shift mean for communities built around manufacturing, and how should we prepare for this inevitable transformation?
Join the conversation by calling our TechMobility Hotline at 872-222-9793 or emailing talk@techmobility.show. You can also find additional content on Substack @kenciowa.
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Speaker 2:I'm Ken Chester On the docket my impressions and review of the Subaru BRZ, ts Coupe, companies that will pay your rent, and smarter robots, dark Factory. To add your voice to the conversation, be it to ask a question, share an opinion or even suggest a topic for future discussion, call or text the Tech Mobility hotline, that number, 872-222-9793. Or you can email the show directly. Talk at techmobilityshow. And for you that are on Substack, I can be found at Ken C Iowa. That's K-E-N, the letter C, i-o-w-a. I'm posting some fun stuff, some interesting stuff out there, and I hope you might consider coming to join me and subscribe to my channel. I think you'd find it interesting. From the Tech Mobility News Desk, it's time for us to visit down on the farm for a minute and see what John Deere's been up to lately.
Speaker 2:A lot of people think, with all this technology we talk about every week, that it's mainly you know, you upscale, uppity city folk that get all the technology, and us folk on the farm. Well, you just let us be. We're going to do what we've been doing. Well, that's not entirely true. For a number of years, farms have been beginning more and more sophisticated with the accumulation of data, the application of that data and how they respond to the data, meaning inputs, whether it's fertilizer or herbicide, or how to till it. Is it too wet, is it too dry? What kind of corn to plant or soybeans to plant? What kind of conditions am I fielding? What is the condition of my crops in this particular field on this particular day, in this particular situation. All that information has been coming in, in some cases, the tractor that plants it, the combine that picks it, the tractor that plants it, the combine that picks it, and now a company called Sentera using drones, a drone-based camera platform, to produce high-resolution images for weed management and other agronomic uses. Why does that matter? If you're a farmer, you know why that matters the cost of herbicide and the impact of too much herbicide and runoff and everything that causes. If you can reduce the amount of herbicide you need to, exactly where you need it, when you need it, you could very easily save thousands of dollars in herbicide you didn't have to buy and thousands of dollars and time in herbicide you didn't have to buy and thousands of dollars and time an herbicide you didn't have to apply. Can you imagine? And that's just for openers Now, sentera had been working for about 10 years with John Deere and recently John Deere just up and bought the whole company.
Speaker 2:Sentera has what they call a field scouting platform that allows farmers to gather high-resolution multispectral images with a strong amount of cameras. The data is then processed with Tensera's field agent, which uses AI there you go and machine learning to help farmers assess plant-level health, identify crop stressors and take appropriate actions. Currently, sentra's primary use case is weed management, and I said Sentra, not Sentra. Sentra's equipped drones fly over fields at high speeds and generate those images which identify the exact location of specific weeds and are used to generate a weed map Again, can you imagine being able to reuse the right herbicide in the right amount to tackle the problem in a specific field, rather than an all-purpose herbicide for all? And you hope for the best. Santerra SmartScript Weeds uses the map to produce a targeted prescription for how much herbicide a farmer needs to load into their sprayer. And bear in mind, the sprayers are now programmed to apply the herbicide where it's needed when it's needed.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's gotten pretty sophisticated down on the farm folks. For you city folk who are not used to this, the average farmer has gotten very sophisticated for a variety of reasons, some of which are as old as the hills and some not so much. One of the main reasons is the availability of labor, the challenges that farmers are facing in managing all those acres and a lack of family members, either because of dropping birth rates or the cost of entry so high even to inherit the family farm that kids just they don't want to do it or they don't have the intestinal fortitude the following the footsteps of the parents and grandparents in the long, hard hours. Farming is still hard work and occasionally dangerous work. So if you're a farmer with land right now, you're trying to use every tool in your toolbox to try to level up and overcome some of the challenges that you face.
Speaker 2:Let me bring up a sore spot with farmers right now and it's this next sentence SmartScript weeds, once generated, is wirelessly sent to John Deere equipment through its operation center. Stop, right there, there is a beef farmers got right now with the green folk. It boils down to this If I'm sending all this information to John Deere about my farm, do I own that information as John Deere does? And what is John Deere doing with the information about my farm other than giving me prescriptions with it? Are they bundling it and selling it to somebody else? Are they using this to have seed companies and fertilizer companies bombard me with ads, knowing where I need it and when I need it? Where's the control for me over the information that I'm sharing, if I want to share it, and how come I can't keep it and maybe decide to release it to them? In order for me to get the help? I have to agree to the whole thing. That's not okay. To get the help, I have to agree to the whole thing. That's not okay. And it gets down to who wants the data. What are they doing with it? What can they do with it if they wanted to be nefarious and please understand, I am not accusing John Deere being nefarious in the information. However, I am asking the questions that we ask here on the program relative to any time.
Speaker 2:Big data accumulates information about consumers or business people or businesses or, in this case, farms. Now, on the surface, this sounds great. Sentara's got all this availability. Ai is looking over my farm and giving me the best practices and what I should do and when I should do it, and Sentara is feeding this information to John Deere into their operation center. So the John Deere equipment that I either own or lease, can know how to best process this information, theoretically, to optimize farm operations on my farm.
Speaker 2:Problem, though who owns that information? What if I decide to buy Case IH next year for some reason, do I lose all that information that they've accumulated? Can they use it against me and why don't I have access to it for me to hold it? Why can't I download it and have it as mine and decide when and where? And if it's an issue, it's an issue, and it's the same issue we've talked about week after week on this program. When you accumulate data, when there is a point of information where all this data is accumulated, there are no laws that protect how this data is manipulated, used, saved, sold, stored. Who has access to it? Why, how long? What other sources can they use? I got questions. I got concerns.
Speaker 2:Now, the piece talked about where Deere bought Sentara, and here's a quote that you would expect. Combining Sentara's imagery capabilities with the John Deere Operation Center will enable farmers and trusted advisors to seemly gather and integrate agronomic data, understand real-time conditions and turn data into insights that drive decisions in the field throughout the growing season. I got questions. There were trusted advisors. Who determines who they are and turn data into insights that drive decisions in the field throughout the growing season. Well gee, john Deere now has all my information, so obviously they're going to probably take that data and point it towards John Deere. Ancillary farm equipment. John Deere solutions, john Deere software, john Deere this or that. But what if, as a farmer, I want to use a different solution with that information? Can I? I doubt it. It's going into their operation center. Nowhere does it say that the farmer has the ability to download that file and keep it off in their computer or offline if they wanted to. Questions Subaru markets a small sport coupe called the BRZ. My impressions are. Next, you are listening to the Tech Mobility Show.
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Speaker 2:Social media is the main place to be these days, and we are no exception. I'm Ken Chester of the Tech Mobility Show. If you enjoy my program, then you will also enjoy my weekly Facebook videos, from my latest vehicle reviews to timely commentary of a variety of mobility and technology-related topics. These short features are designed to inform and delight. You Be sure to watch, like and follow us on Facebook. You can find us by typing the Tech Mobility Show in the search bar. Be sure to subscribe to our Facebook page. Social media is the place to be these days, and we're no exception. I'm Ken Chester of the Tech Mobility Show. If you enjoy my program, then you will also enjoy my weekly Instagram videos, from the latest vehicle reviews to timely commentary on a variety of mobility and technology-related topics. These short features are designed to inform and delight. You Be sure to watch, like and follow us on Instagram. You can find us by typing the Tech Mobility Show in the search bar.
Speaker 2:For those of you that listen to podcasts, we have just the one for you. Hi, I'm Ken Chester. Tech Mobility Topics is a podcast where I upload topic-specific videos each week. Shorter than a full show. These bite-sized programs are just the thing, particularly if you're interested in a particular topic covered on the weekly radio show. From Apple Podcasts to iHeartRadio and many podcast platforms in between, we got you covered.
Speaker 1:Just enter Tech Mobility Topics in the search bar, wherever you listen to podcasts. The Subaru Outback With symmetrical all-wheel drive standard and an available turbocharged boxer engine, it might just be the only vehicle perfect for the snow belt, the sun belt and your money belt. See your Subaru dealer for a test drive today. Through February 28th, get financing as low as 1.9% on all 2005 Subaru models.
Speaker 2:Yes, the Subaru Outback, that one vehicle almost well, actually 30 years ago I was going to say almost 30 years ago, no, it's been 30 years Saved the company they had overextended in the 90s. They're almost considering withdrawing from the US market. And then they took a legacy wagon. They increased its height, made it a little more firm in terms of changing the rates and suddenly they had a winner. They had an off-road wagon, and the rest of what they say is history. Subaru Outback is legendary for what it did for Subaru, at least the United States. It was the difference between them being in business and not being in business. Now this vehicle right here, developed jointly with Toyota, this 2 plus 2 sports car was originally introduced the United States and Canada under Toyota's former youth oriented brand Scion. As the Scion FR-S Introduced in 2012,. The 2 plus 2 Fastback Coupe had always been manufactured and still is, by Subaru at its Ota Gunma manufacturing facility in Japan. Subaru also launched its version of the Fastback that same year as the BRZ.
Speaker 2:While product positioning of the car evolved in the Toyota lineup, eventually becoming the Toyota GR86, subaru stayed the course, introducing a STI-inspired BRZ TS model for 2024. And let me stop you. If you're not familiar with Subaru and STI, I'm going to give you this name and I want you to look it up. It's the Subaru Impreza WRX STI. It is based on a rally car and if you've ever experienced that car you will understand those letters S-T-I. It's really the performance attributes of Subaru and that WRX STI was an amazing and still is an amazing car to drive and, by the way, four-door sedan. Just thought I'd add that the new TS Performance model starts with a limited trim and features a special sports suspension with STI-tuned dampers, upgraded braking system and exclusive exterior and interior trim. This review and my impressions are for this newest addition to the BRZ model lineup.
Speaker 2:The Subaru BRZ TS comes equipped with the STI-tuned front and rear Hitachi dampers, resulting in greater flexibility and better control and stability. A high-performance Brembo braking system, including gold-painted four-piston front calipers and gold-painted two-piston rear calipers and larger pads and rotors, enhances stopping power, fade resistance and pedal feel. The BRZ TS also has 18-inch wheels and dark gray metallic finish mounted on 2514R18 Michelin Pilot Sport. 4 tires for superior grip and quicker turn-in. Four tires for superior grip and quicker turn-in.
Speaker 2:Externally, the BRZ TS is distinguished by TS badging in the front grille and on the rear deck lid. The interior, foldable mirrors and roof-mounted shark fin antenna come in a crystal black silica finish. Inside, the BRZ TS cabin is wrapped in a black upholstery with exclusive blue stitching on front seat bolsters. Leather-wrapped steering wheel, shifter boot and parking brake boot. Standard performance design front seats with height-adjustable head restraints feature a blue leather accent down the middle. The leather-wrapped steering wheel comes with an integrated control switch for audio, cruise control and Bluetooth. Brin knob. Nut-back-like material enhances the instrument panel, visor and door trim. The iconic STI logo is displayed on the rear starter button and customizable 7-inch digital instrument cluster, also updated with red accents.
Speaker 2:Power for the BRZ TS is produced by a 2.4 liter gasoline four-cylinder boxer engine that makes 228 horsepower and 184 foot-pounds of torque, and if you're not familiar with the boxer concept, it is basically an engine that is flat. The pistons run in a horizontal, what they call a pose fashion, but they run horizontally, not at a 90 degree or 60 degree angle. What this does is it gives you a flat or boxer motor, which allows the engine to sit lower in the car body. This lowers the center of gravity for the coupe and improves its handling and road holding capabilities, and anybody that knows anything about racing. Its center of gravity is the most important thing. The lower you can get the weight of the car to the road, the more stable the vehicle is at higher speeds. This is one attribute that Subaru just excels at, particularly when it comes to its four-wheel drive. And while we're on that subject, the BRZ is unique in the Subaru lineup because it is not all-wheel drive and you can't get all-wheel drive in a BRZ but it is rear-wheel drive with a Torsen limited slip differential. A six-speed manual gearbox is all you're going to get, by the way, and that communicates torque from the engine to the drive wheels. Epa fuel economy numbers a 20-city, 27, 27 highway using premium unleaded, although you can use regular unleaded, it'll still run. Cargo capacity is 6.3 cubic feet.
Speaker 2:Here's what I liked about the vehicle. Now, if you're looking for raw performance from a rear-wheel drive, 2 plus 2 fastback and a modern rendition, then the Subaru BRZ TS is your vehicle. In a marketplace in time where practical four-door passenger cars are disappearing and where two-door coupes were a rarity before even that began to happen, the BRZ TS is a haven for those who crave career performance that has been reduced to the basics as a rally-inspired, drift-engineered, manual gearbox-equipped 2-plus-2 fastback. It becomes quickly obvious that this Subaru is not for everybody, and that's okay with the automaker. The BRZ TS is true to its mission and, in fact, has been the platform for various track and extreme performance models over its 14-year product run. Here's what I don't like about the vehicle. Now, before I share this list, let me say again that the Subaru BRZ TS 2 plus 2 Fastback Coupe is a niche model that is not designed for everybody. It has very specific driving and performance parameters.
Speaker 2:Having said that, now I confess. First of all, this scoop is not very tall, which can cause problems with other vehicles actually seeing you on the open road. As a result of its low height, getting in and out of the car could be a challenge for some drivers. Yeah, I'm talking about myself. Yes, the back seat is best left down or folded position, as it's not fit for man or beast back there. That's just truth. I'm sorry, subaru, but that's just truth. Don't try to put nobody back there. I wouldn't even put my cat back there, I just wouldn't.
Speaker 2:Although displays, controls and switch gear are useful, they do show their age in terms of presentation and capabilities. The combination of the short wheelbase and firm. And read that track-tuned suspension system means driving long distances is more of a marathon of endurance than pure joy. There's no place for a cell phone, and the location of the center-mounted cup holders make them unusable. And, ironically enough for all the hoopla about performance, the Michelin Pilot Sport 4 tires are not speed-rated. Hmm, so here's the bottom line, real quick. The Subaru BRZ TS is a rare treat for those who desire to experience the purity of performance full stop. The manufacturer suggested retail price for the 2025 Subaru BRZ TS starts from $38,360. Destination charges add $1,170. And while I'll say this coupe isn't for everybody, but it's for you, it will be well worth the experience. If you're into that kind of thing, if you're willing to give up a little bit, you'll get rewarded. Short on rent this month, you don't have to go to your parents for a loan. This company will pay your rent.
Speaker 2:This is the Tech Mobility Show. Do you listen to podcasts? Seems that most people do. Hi, I'm Ken Chester, host of the Tech Mobility Show. If you've missed any of our weekly episodes on the radio, our podcast is a great way to listen. You can find the Tech Mobility podcast just about anywhere. You can enjoy podcasts. Be sure to follow us from Apple Podcasts, iheart Radio and many platforms in between. We are there. Just enter the Tech Mobility podcast in the search bar. Wherever you listen to podcasts, social media, it's the place to be. We no exception. Hi, I'm ken chester, host the tech mobility show. Several times a week, I post to tiktok several of the topics that I cover on my weekly radio show. It's another way to keep up on mobility, technology news and information. I've built quite a library of short videos for your viewing pleasure, so be sure to watch, like and subscribe. That's the tech mobility show on tiktok. Check it out.
Speaker 2:So you're looking to rent an apartment, but your credit history is spotty at best. What can you do? Well, you know you can do the usual. You can go to mom and dad. Hey, mom, dad, can you co-sign for me? I'm trying to get this apartment. They're like my parents. Yeah, you're about to get your feelings hurt.
Speaker 2:Or you can pay a third-party company to serve as your guarantor. They would be on the hook for the rent if, for some reason, you were unable to pay. Does this sound like a valuable service? Some people think so, and the number is growing. This is topic B. Let me be clear before I even go any further. If you think that this company, this third party company that said, yeah, we'll vouch for him, is going to be okay, would you miss in rent? No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. Let me read this part to you. I'm going to start here and work backwards so that you will understand this part, and Start here and work backwards so that you will understand this part. And they say in the article, to be clear, if a renter defaults on a lease, the guarantor may cover the payments, but the renter is still on the hook. In this instance, the money is no longer owed to the landlord, but the guarantor. They will sue you, trust me, they will. It will get ugly. What do you think this business is worth? Globally? They expect it to be worth almost a billion dollars by 2032. A billion dollars. So who would be I don't know a perfect customer for them? Well, here's an example.
Speaker 2:You work in the gig economy. Your income's all over the place, but it's steady. You got money coming in every month, but it's up one month, down next month. You might be between gigs, but you always got money coming in. Well, your credit history might look a little rough In your employment history. You can't produce a W-2 that says, hey, I've been working for this firm for three years, five years, ten years, that's kind of like what they want to see. But your money don't look like that. But you've got the money for the rent. I mean, you've got it and you'll have it every month. But you don't pass muster relative to what typical landlords, when they assess credit and they look at your credit, they run a credit check. It doesn't look all that good.
Speaker 2:You go to a third party guarantor. Now, typically these guarantors will charge you anywhere between 75% to 150% of your monthly rent to cover it. It's not cheap, but the difference is where your credit would say, nah, having them get you in Because they're guaranteeing the money to the landlord no matter what, but you are paying a pretty penny for it. In other words, if you broke, if you are long periods of unemployed with no cash reserves, this is not the plan for you, because at the end the thing I read straight up at first you be still on the hook for the money. So this is not a case where, oh well, I didn't pay it, they're going to pay it this month and maybe I'll catch it. No, they're coming after you. The guarantor wants their money that they put up to cover you the landlord's hole. They're not Guess what, neither you.
Speaker 2:If you are older folk with maybe serious cash reserves, but you don't have a part-time job, you got Social Security and it doesn't look so good, but maybe you're sitting on a bunch of money in the bank, you could be another candidate for this business. And as always, is it regulated? Not exactly, because it's not a loan and they're looking all over the place. You would think New York City would be prime, and it is. But even outside of New York City, this is growing. A study from consulting firm Verified Market Research estimates that the global rent guarantor's market will generate $775 million in revenue this year, which is up nearly 10% from last year, and by 2032, it could nearly double and be over $1.5 billion a year. In case you think you can get around this, the guarantor of service is becoming a regular feature in rental agreements, setting up the sector for long-term worldwide growth, said the verified market research study.
Speaker 2:Here's the thing that I'm worried about. Immediately. That came to my mind immediately. You are a large to mid-size renting company. Okay, we're going to give you two.
Speaker 2:I'm going to give you two scenarios. First scenario you are a management, an apartment management or a property management company and you've got contracts through town. Maybe it's a college town and you've got contracts through town and manage various properties, college kids coming in and out and maybe you say you look at this and as the project management, you say you look at this and as the project management company say, you know what, we can start one of these third-party guarantor services for the landlords that we serve to help cover the gap between the kids in and out and making sure they're whole. And we'll stand the difference. There's no regulation on what they can charge. And remember, yeah, they would probably hit mommy and daddy if the kids start in college, needs a place to live off campus. Yeah, that's going to be mom and dad coughing that money up. Absolutely, that's the first one.
Speaker 2:Second one is maybe the landlord, because they have a certain amount of properties in that city or in that region, decides you know what? We're going to set up a third-party guarantor to make sure we're whole. You know where we can raise money on the side to make sure the rent gets paid. So we're getting paid but we still have recourse and make money at it Because, remember, this is a business. They are charging you for that privilege. That's marked up.
Speaker 2:And because it's not a loan, I don't think that it would fall necessarily under any sort of fair housing or fair credit federal regulations. I'd have to double check. I don't think it does, which means, if it's not regulated, they can do what they want and without the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, who's going to look out for you? That's the question. These are the questions I've got. Here's something I didn't know and I want to share this with you, because I never heard these numbers before. I went wow, let me give this to you. This is the article. This is from MarketWatch.
Speaker 2:Generally speaking, landlords require the prospective tenants have an annual income equal to 40 times the monthly rent. The monthly rent, that means if your rent is $1,000 a month, you should be making $40,000 a year. And oh, by the way, a credit score of 700 or higher, whoops. And they said yeah, there's still some leeway. Landlords can, and often do, consider extenuating circumstances, according to housing experts and professionals, but there's no promise of that. So I'm wondering how many of y'all got a credit score of 700 or higher and are you looking at a place that is 40 times? Are you making 40 times what you're going to pay in rent? In the real world, consumers are spending almost 30% of their annual income in rent, which is higher than they'd like 30 plus percent. It's not pretty out there. The typical monthly US rent is gone from about $1,200 in 2015 to $2,000 today. So if that's your average rent, that means you'd be paying. You'd have to have an income of $80,000 to pay average rent right now, and that's countrywide, because the averages have gone up so much Year over year. Now 3% increases after climbing as high as 15% three years ago. Things to think about. Smarter robots get tested as automakers aim for a dark factory. The future is here.
Speaker 2:We are the Tech Mobility Show. To learn more about the Tech Mobility Show, start by visiting our website. Hi, I'm Ken Chester, host of the Tech Mobility Show. Start by visiting our website. Hi, I'm Ken Chester, host of the Tech Mobility Show. The website is a treasure trove of information about me and the show, as well as where to find it on the radio across the country. Keep up with the happenings of the Tech Mobility Show by visiting techmobilityshow. That's techmobilityshow. You can also drop us a line at talk at techmobilityshow. Did you know that Tech Mobility has a YouTube channel? Hi, I'm Ken Chester, host of the Tech Mobility Show. Each week I upload a few short videos of some of the hot topics that I cover during my weekly radio program. I've designed these videos to be informative and entertaining. It's another way to keep up on current mobility and technology news and information. Be sure to watch, like and subscribe to my channel. That's the Tech Mobility Show on YouTube Check it out.
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Speaker 2:Social media is the place to be these days, and we're no exception. I'm Ken Chester of the Tech Mobility Show. If you enjoy my program, then you will also enjoy my weekly Instagram videos From the latest vehicle reviews to timely commentary on a variety of mobility and technology-related topics. These short features are designed to inform and delight you. Be sure to watch, like and follow us on Instagram. You can find us by typing the Tech Mobility Show in the search bar.
Speaker 2:Automation it's been a fact of life in automotive manufacturing for as long as auto manufacturing has existed. From quality improvements to eliminating the need for humans to do dangerous jobs within the plant, the quest to automate has never let up. Today, cost and quality of the drivers as vehicles are more complex than ever before, with more equipment and motors who expect a great deal from their new wheels. As a new generation of robots have grown in sophistication, they're helping automakers inch closer to the elusive goal of running dark factories plants with no humans at all. It seems that the 2002 movie Minority Report had it completely right. This is Topic C. I keep coming back to this movie and it wasn't even part of the plot, though. There was a fully automated Lexus plant in that movie making Lexuses with no human beings and the car, when the car was manufactured, went to the home it was supposed to go to by itself. We're here now, but let's talk about dark factories for a minute. It's not a new concept. I wish I could say it was. No, it's not.
Speaker 2:And I'm going to give you an example on an automaker who took a parts plant and tried to make it fully automated, spent $40 million to do it in 1983. The plant was in Bay City, michigan. It was a Saginaw steering plant making steering harnesses, steering assemblies for General Motors. They tried it back then trying to do this. Here's something that I want you to think about and it's a conversation I had with a fellow journalist you to think about. And it's a conversation I had with a fellow journalist and I explained to him that, with the quest to unsure American manufacturing, at least in the auto industry, I was convinced that I still am, more than ever before that that is going to result in some of the highest automation ever. You're not going to employ the plant that they built in the 60s, in the 70s, in the 80s, that employed maybe 5, 75, 10,000 people In this brave new world of assembly plants. You're going to be lucky if that same plant with that same footprint employs 500 people 500 people. If that Don't believe me, go to Georgia. Hyundai's new mega factory is highly, highly, highly automated. They got another plant there. Key's got a plant in West Point Georgia. The Hyundai plant's more automated than that. Ford was in the midst of building a brand new factory in West Central Tennessee. They've paused it for now, but I guarantee you when that plant comes online it will be highly automated.
Speaker 2:Why? Hard truth, people? It cost a lot of money to run a plant in the United States of America. There are reasons why automakers, being global manufacturers, have gone around the world to source parts and build certain vehicles in certain places. Because the market they sell them in, particularly this market, has certain price points where buyers ain't paying a penny above that. And if they can't get it done here, they got to go someplace where the numbers make sense, because, after all, they are in business to make a profit Full stop. That is capitalism. Businesses make stuff, sell stuff, develop stuff, to make money, to pay their shareholders who took the risk, to pay their workers, to build more, to pay taxes and sales taxes and employment taxes, federal taxes, state taxes. They can't do it if they don't make money. They can't make money doing things the way they used to do it. Yesterday, tesla, hyundai, bmw, mercedes all are testing smarter robots for manufacturing, aiming for human-free, dark factories.
Speaker 2:If you are a union worker in an automobile assembly plant, this is what you were striking about two years ago. This part of it wasn't just the money. This part of it that you were striking about. You saw the future and the future didn't include you. And if you're trying to make a living and much people, many people who graduated high school back in the day, the 60s and the 70s, even early 80s, followed their fathers and grandfathers into these plants, made a very good living with barely a high school diploma, maybe some courses that the company had them take to learn some machinery over the years, and made a very good middle class, solid living. And if you lived in Michigan and worked in an assembly plant that was unionized, you had your home in Metro Detroit and you had a shack or whatever in the UP or upstate where you went fishing and boating and you had your boat and your truck and life was good.
Speaker 2:Imagine machinery robots they don't need brakes, they don't negotiate for higher wages, they don't get paid unemployment, they don't have to get paid a bonus every year. The automakers can make the money back pretty quick. And any new plants I guarantee you are going to see levels of automation that you never thought were possible, particularly as these automakers start testing these next generation robots. Now, to be honest, this is not something that's going to happen in the next five years. I don't believe it's as far away as the automakers want you to believe. It's not 20 years away, but somewhere between five years and 20 years. You're going to see more and more auto plants be automated.
Speaker 2:And then what they're going to start with? They're going to start with the parts plants. They're going to start with the ancillary plants. They're going to start with the small stuff. They're going to start with the ancillary plants. They're going to start with the small stuff. That is exactly how the automakers went to the moving assembly line over 110 years ago. They started making something called a magneto, which was a forerunner of a generator. They started on that line. They automated that line first and, over time, moving the whole car. But that's not how it started. The moving assembly did not start with moving full cars. It started on a parts line and they perfected it there and moved it gradually. It's how the automakers do it, and not just automakers. Other plants Shoot. If you are in a GE appliance plant in Tennessee, they're already running autonomous trucks between the plant facilities right now and have been for a few years. It's coming Someday, maybe soon.
Speaker 2:Humanoid robots may further enhance their manufacturing might. Car manufacturers such as Tesla, hyundai, bmw, mercedes-benz are already experimenting with robots that borrow the human form and can sort widgets, lift boxes, carry parts and conduct other tasks currently performed by people. These robots could constitute the basis of dark factory workforces, solving what the manufacturers see as a human worker shortage, even as we are bringing jobs and processes and manufacturing back. The boomers are the last big group population and, with 77 million of us, z, x, y, the folks coming after us, not nearly as big, not having as many families, not as many kids. So the automakers and other manufacturers are looking at all of this, trying to figure out the best way, and they've got to maintain quality and speed and price Automation way to go, and it's going to feed as they buy more. It puts more money into development for them to get better and better and better.
