According to The Information, Apple wants to replace some iPhone assembly workers with automation. If this becomes a reality, it will severely impact a large amount of work for workers on the iPhone final assembly lines, which are the final steps before iPhones are packaged and shipped.
Apple's intention is believed to stem from the 2022 conflict between iPhone workers and police outside a Foxconn assembly plant in Zhengzhou, China, related to the factory lockdown due to Covid-19 and a wage dispute.
This incident led to several police officers wearing Covid-19 protective gear assaulting some factory workers and damaged the image of Apple's most important iPhone manufacturing partner.
In fact, automating the iPhone production line is something Apple has considered in the past, but the company decided to put this effort on hold previously due to high initial investment costs. Now, they have decided to spend this money, potentially hundreds of millions of dollars annually, to reduce their workforce.
To realize its plan, a report from The Information states that Apple has made several significant acquisitions recently targeting artificial intelligence (AI) companies to simplify production line automation. These include Darwin AI (a company that uses computer vision to inspect components like printed circuit boards for defects) and Drishti (a company that analyzes assembly line efficiency through video footage and helps identify bottlenecks, allowing for optimization).
Source: https://kinhtedothi.vn/apple-se-thay-the-cong-nhan-bang-robot.html
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