# What tasks are least likely to become automated anytime soon? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 26, 2023, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-tasks-are-least-likely-to-become-automated-anytime-soon/987596 "2023-07-26T00:12:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2023, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-tasks-are-least-likely-to-become-automated-anytime-soon/987596/1 "2023-07-26T00:12:38Z")
My friend just bought a new car, and told me he downloaded an app on his phone, from which he can unlock and start the key remotely. So many other “manual” tasks have become automated. Turning lights on/of, vacuuming, you name it. I never woulda thought I needed an automatic tailgate on my vehicle (but I have gotten used to it such that I feel a manual open hatch archaic!) I wondered what you thought were some historically manual tasks, which are the LEAST likely to become automated anytime soon? Or conversely, which everyday tasks that we all do “by hand” will soon be done through our phones or other tech? ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2023, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-tasks-are-least-likely-to-become-automated-anytime-soon/987596/2 "2023-07-26T00:20:42Z")
Decorum Prohibits Response -GatoBoto ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2023, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-tasks-are-least-likely-to-become-automated-anytime-soon/987596/3 "2023-07-26T00:27:06Z")
Personal grooming has fought off myriad attempts to automate it. I think more is done manually (or by other humans) now than 50 years ago. [![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/55/Galaxy_195501.jpg) ](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/55/Galaxy_195501.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![dougrb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/76d3ee/32.png) [@dougrb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dougrb)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2023, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-tasks-are-least-likely-to-become-automated-anytime-soon/987596/4 "2023-07-26T00:28:55Z")
> [@Dinsdale](#): > > vacuuming Say what? ---
**Author:** ![Spiderman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiderman/32/230_2.png) [@Spiderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiderman)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2023, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-tasks-are-least-likely-to-become-automated-anytime-soon/987596/5 "2023-07-26T00:53:02Z")
[Roomba](https://www.irobot.com/); there’s even a version to clean you business…your [lady](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gqesEYUXr78) business ---
**Author:** ![dougrb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/76d3ee/32.png) [@dougrb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dougrb)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2023, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-tasks-are-least-likely-to-become-automated-anytime-soon/987596/6 "2023-07-26T01:01:26Z")
> [@Dinsdale](#): > > My friend just bought a new car I thought he meant a car that vacuumed itself. ---
**Author:** ![Dereknocue67](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/6de8d8/32.png) [@Dereknocue67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dereknocue67)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2023, 8:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-tasks-are-least-likely-to-become-automated-anytime-soon/987596/7 "2023-07-26T08:17:17Z")
I would say the task of being a politician, although it might be an improvement. ---
**Author:** ![Pardel-Lux](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pardel-lux/32/20182_2.png) [@Pardel-Lux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pardel-Lux)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2023, 9:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-tasks-are-least-likely-to-become-automated-anytime-soon/987596/8 "2023-07-26T09:18:16Z")
Cheewing, swallowing and the end result of that. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2023, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-tasks-are-least-likely-to-become-automated-anytime-soon/987596/9 "2023-07-26T14:01:58Z")
Cleaning the ears of a long furry-eared spaniel. Requires coaxing, patience, and a supply of chicken jerky. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2023, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-tasks-are-least-likely-to-become-automated-anytime-soon/987596/10 "2023-07-26T14:19:41Z")
Human interaction tasks in general. Top of the list, I’d say, would be nursing. Doctors will probably be replaced by robots before nurses will. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2023, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-tasks-are-least-likely-to-become-automated-anytime-soon/987596/11 "2023-07-26T14:29:55Z")
Bagging groceries. No matter how they tinker with the selection and paying processes (you do it, checkout person does it, someone does it on your behalf, RFID does it), someone is always going to have to put the items in a vessel to be carried elsewhere as a collection. ---
**Author:** ![JohnGalt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johngalt/32/184_2.png) [@JohnGalt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnGalt)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2023, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-tasks-are-least-likely-to-become-automated-anytime-soon/987596/12 "2023-07-26T16:52:32Z")
Anything related to constructing a house: plumbing, electrical wiring, shingling, installing windows, etc. Perhaps buildings might be built in a factory and shipped to the site, but at some point someone needs to put the parts together.