You're both correct, but coming at it from different levels. Most manufacturing businesses build things for other manufacturing businesses. In that light, the producer's first care is the "consumer" because his consumer isn't a person; it's another business. As long as that other business is profitable, the guy upstream can get paid and that's his primary concern.

It's only once you get to the factories building actual "consumer goods" that you see the real concern over "who is going to buy this."

The funny thing is that I spend a lot of time on a forum mainly populated by owners of small factories and I see this come up from time to time. The guys (and they're mostly owners & workers at small manufacturing businesses) are concerned about too much automation having an impact on society, but by far their primary concern is making sure that they automate enough to stay in business and be profitable. After all, it's their kids being able to eat that they're going to be mainly concerned with.