History Main / JobStealingRobot

[[caption-width-right:350:After proving its capability by legitimately winning the ''{{Jeopardy}}'' in 2011, IBM's [[http://www-03.ibm.com/innovation/us/watson/ Watson]] artificial artificial intelligence went on to [[http://www.zdnet.com/after-a-year-of-medical-school-ibms-watson-passes-first-milestone-7000011062/ fight cancer]].

[[quoteright:350:[[Series/TheDukesOfHazzard http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/dukesrobot_350_8567.JPG]]]]

* Subverted in WesternAnimation/RoughnecksStarshipTroopersChronicles: [[FunWithAcronyms C.H.A.S.]] is presented as a hyper-competent BadassAutomaton, that can do the job of any trooper better than they can (much to their annoyance). After his HeroicSacrifice to save [[TheWatson Higgens]], it is mentioned that the government decided that robots like C.H.A.S. were not cost-effective.

* In ''Series/TheWire'' union leader Frank Sobotka is is horrified by the upcoming trend of mechanical automatization rendering stevedore manual labour obsolete.

* ''TheCavesOfSteel'' has people becoming unemployed due to robots being introduced by the Spacers. It is revealed to be part of a plan to create large numbers of unemployed people who will become a new wave of settlers.

* Subverted in WesternAnimation/RoughnecksTheStarshipTroopersChronicles: [[FunWithAcronyms C.H.A.S.]] is presented as a hyper-competent BadassAutomaton, that can do the job of any trooper better than they can (much to their annoyance). After his HeroicSacrifice to save [[TheWatson Higgens]], it is mentioned that the government decided that robots like C.H.A.S. were not cost-effective.

An application of TechnologyMarchesOn and subtrope of ManVersusMachine. Overlaps with LuddWasRight. When someone fights against the Job Stealing Robot, particularly when using questionable means, you're looking at an EvilLuddite.

* There's a joke about a guy who's laid off, as his boss tells him they've just bought a new robot that does everything he does, but better. The guy goes home and tells his wife... who goes and buys the same model of robot.

* Flobot.., just Flobot. No seriously, there's an ad for Progressive insurance where spokeswoman Flo fears she'll be replaced by Flobot (who has since appeared with Flo and others in another ad).

* ''DeusExHumanRevolution'' has a slight variation in the form of job-stealing ''cyborgs''; one of the main anti-aug camps' arguments boils down to "cyborgs have an unfair advantage in the job market". The counter argument is that cyborgs can do jobs baseline humans couldn't possibly manage. The original ''DeusEx'' also had cyborgs with older augments worried that the nano-tech enhanced protagonist will make them obsolete.

* In ''WarGames'', the computer is used to replace human commanders in charge of missile silos. [[HeyItsThatGuy Leo]] [[TheWestWing McGarry]] glances significantly at the machine when he's being relieved by it.

* According to ''TheMatrix'' [[AllThereInTheManual backstory]], this is the reason humans started fighting the machines. Artificial Intelligence had evolved to a point where machines became better than humans at everything. Eventually, the humans started discriminating against the machines and kicked them out.

* ''TheTwilightZone'' TOS episode "[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Brain_Center_at_Whipple%27s The Brain Center at Whipple's]]". A callous business executive replaces all of his workers with machines, putting them out of work. At the end, he suffers karmic justice as he is replaced by a computer.

* An episode of ''PowerRangersLightspeedRescue'' features a scientist introducing a group of Robot Rangers. This leads to the Lightspeed Rangers out of work...until the robots malfunction.

* In ''Videogame/{{Portal 2}}'', when exploring Old Aperture underground, you can see posters on the wall from when Aperture Science started using their own employees as test subjects and started using robots to do the humans' work. One of these posters features an employee (called "Karla the Complainer") complaining about her boss being a robot, and it assures readers that robots work harder than you, can do your job better than you, and are all-around better than you.

* ''TheSimpsons'': Mr. Burns has twice tried to replace all the workers at SNPP with robots. The first time is during a strike and the robots run amok. The second time Burns fires everyone (except Homer) and replace them with robots, which eventually...run amok. This time the unemployed and underemployed former SNPP workers come to his rescue, and he rehires them all.

* There's an episode of ''HiHiPuffyAmiyumi'' when robots replaced Ami and Yumi as rock stars..thankfully, they get their positions back.

* An episode of ''WesternAnimation/TaleSpin'' featured robot pilots putting the regular cargo fliers out of business. The robot was ultimately revealed to have a critical flaw of [[spoiler:only ever flying in a straight line, rendering it easy prey for air pirates]].

* In the ''StarTrekTheOriginalSeries'' episode "The Ultimate Computer", Starfleet decides it's a great idea for a computer to replace Kirk as captain of the ''Enterprise''. The computer [[AIIsaCrapshoot goes evil]], of course.

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* ''DeusExHumanRevolution'' has a slight variation in the form of job-stealing ''cyborgs''; one of the main anti-aug camps' arguments boils down to "cyborgs have an unfair advantage in the job market". The counter argument is that cyborgs can do jobs baseline humans couldn't possibly manage. The original ''DeusEx'' also had cyborgs with older augments worried that the nano-tech enhanced protagonist will make them obsolete.

* ''TheTwilightZone'' TOS episode "[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Brain_Center_at_Whipples The Brain Center at Whipple's]]". A callous business executive replaces all of his workers with machines, putting them out of work. At the end, he suffers karmic justice as he is replaced by a computer.

* ''TheTwilightZone'' TOS episode "[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Brain_Center_at_Whipple's The Brain Center at Whipple's]]". A callous business executive replaces all of his workers with machines, putting them out of work. At the end, he suffers karmic justice as he is replaced by a computer.

* Walt Disney Studios was in financial straits after ''Disney/SleepingBeauty'' didn't make its cost back, so UbIwerks invented the xerography process to eliminate hand-inking. Not good for you if you worked in the Disney inking department.

The Job Stealing Robot does not need to necessarily be a robot - a piece of software or other type of machine may do the trick. The point is that artificial constructs are being built and are replacing the old workforce.

TruthInTelevision: advances in robotics have lead to a lot of manual labor jobs being replaced or consolidated. Whether this is a good thing or not, YMMV

* This is a pivotal plot point in ArmitageIII, due to the high employment rate of [[RidiculouslyHumanRobots robots]], on Mars. The human populace objects strongly [[spoiler: sometimes violently]] to this and regularly hold public protests, to denounce robots and demand their jobs back.

* IRobot: Will Smith invokes this when proposing a new slogan for a robotics company: "Shitting on the Little Guy".

* According to TheMatrix [[AllThereInTheManual backstory]], this is the reason humans started fighting the machines. Artificial Intelligence had evolved to a point where machines became better than humans at everything. Eventually, the humans started discriminating against the machines and kicked them out.
* In WarGames, the computer is used to replace human commanders in charge of missile silos. [[HeyItsThatGuy Leo]] [[TheWestWing McGarry]] glances significantly at the machine when he's being relieved by it.
* in ''BillAndTedsBogusJourney'' Bill & Ted get killed and replaced by "evil robot us'es" which look exactly like Bill & Ted, but are programmed to be evil in order to destroy Bill & Ted's reputation so they don't become awesome rock stars and turn the world to peace. (Film)

* TheCavesOfSteel has people becoming unemployed due to robots being introduced by the Spacers. It is revealed to be part of a plan to create large numbers of unemployed people who will become a new wave of settlers.

* ''TheTwilightZone'' TOS episode "[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Brain_Center_at_Whipple's The Brain Center at Whipple's]]". A callous business executive replaces all of his workers with machines, putting them out of work. At the end he suffers karmic justice as he is replaced by a computer.

** In YetAnotherChristmasCarol episode Mr. Carlson is taken to the future, where he has replaced everyone at the station with computers except Herb (the sales manager).
** When another radio station tries to hire Venus away from WKRP he learns that the entire station is automated; he'd be the [[TokenMinority Token Human]] on the air.
* An episode of ''PowerRangersLightspeedRescue'' features a scientist introducing a group of Robot Rangers. This leads to the Lightspeed Rangers out of job...until the robots malfunction.

* ''ComicStrip/WhatsNewWithPhilAndDixie''. In Dragon magazine #63 (July 1982) the strip had a robot Phil that was designed to replace the real Phil Foglio on the staff. Phil managed to defeat the robot by shorting him out with water, but then a robot Dixie appeared... Read it [[http://www.airshipentertainment.com/growfcomic.php?date=20070520 here]].

* ''DeusExHumanRevolution'' has a slight variation in the form of job stealing ''cyborgs''; one of the main anti-aug camps' arguments boils down to "cyborgs have an unfair advantage in the job market". The counter argument is that cyborgs can do jobs baseline humans couldn't possibly manage. The original ''DeusEx'' also had cyborgs with older augments worried that the nano-tech enhanced protagonist will make them obsolete.

* RedVsBlue: 479er is clearly feeling very threatened by Delta, but calms down quickly when she discovers that he can't fly.

* Despair.com mentions this in some of their [[FauxtivationalPoster demotivators]]:

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* Inverted in WarbotInAccounting: the titular warbot is a refrigerator-sized hunk of metal with a single crushing claw, meaning he is stunningly bad at typing, handling delicate objects, etc.

** In another ''Simpsons'' Stu & Marty (the radio [=DJs=]) are threatened to be replaced by a wisecracking computer if they don't make good on the promise of an elephant for Bart.

* There's HiHiPuffyAmiyumi when robots replaced Ami and Yumi as rockstars..thankfully, they get their positions back.

There's a joke about a guy who's laid off, as his boss tells him they've just bought a new robot that does everything he does, but better. The guy goes home and tells his wife... who goes and buys the same robot.

* This trope is contradicted by the "[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luddite_fallacy#Early_in_the_Industrial_Revolution Luddite fallacy]]"; Even though a machine can do more work than a person, it doesn't mean that the company will employ less people - instead, the company may just produce more product for the same number of employees (of course, this still puts artisans out of a job in favour of technicians).

* Walt Disney Studios was in financial straits after ''Disney/SleepingBeauty'' didn't make its cost back, so UbIwerks invented the xerox process to eliminate hand-inking. Not good for you if you worked in the Disney inking department.
* When Creator/StevenSpielberg started on ''Franchise/JurassicPark'', he hired TippettStudio to provide stop-motion effects for the film. However, Spielberg later saw a test with CGI dinosaurs and was so impressed with how realistic they looked that he decided to use CGI instead of stop-motion. Ultimately subverted as Tippett Studio's expertise at animating dinosaurs was still valuable and so a system was created where their stop-motion experience could be applied to the CGI models. Tippett Studio has specialized in CGI ever since.