I love this idea, and I hope Creator gives the robot a catchy name and “persona” that will create some happy feelings that signify inclusion, not “job stealer” anxiety! Staff should also be trained to talk about this technology as a quality enhancer for the operation. Last thought — open the kitchen up so people can see the robot in action!

What Nikki said.

There’s a place for robotics, but nobody thinks they’re going to replace humans en masse in the foreseeable future. Consult the boardroom scene in RoboCop …

I think that robotics/automation are best as part of a hand-in-hand strategy with humans. For example I see McDonald’s use of touchscreens for ordering as part of a strategy to free up staff to fulfill orders (rather than take them) and therefore get food to customers faster. Now of course you could say that those touchscreen orders could go to a robot like Creator to actually cook. But at the same time the more automation that you introduce the more you need humans to oversee it and step in when things go wrong. Certainly I think we’ll see more happen in the fast food space but hopefully with companies not trying to run before the tech can walk!

If the burgers taste good, I don’t see why this won’t catch on. However, even if it does, it is not the disaster some will make it out to be. For a start, back-end automation does not mean front-end automation. A fast food outlet without any staff to interact with will not be everyone’s preference. Moreover, robotic technology will new create opportunities and jobs elsewhere.

I’d also like to see the financials of this. What is the return on capital? The investment required for maintenance? Does the sunk cost impact the business metrics? And so on, and so forth!

Let’s not kid ourselves. Most of what we eat in fast food restaurants is already made by robots in factories. This is just the next step.

This is one more step in automating the supply chain of bringing quick service food to our tables. Whenever people talk about robots and AI replacing humans, I think of all the automation that occurs in the production of so much of our food supply. At one time, there were more human jobs in those areas than there are today. It’s just the natural evolution of the workforce. Throughout history, post-industrial revolution, jobs have evolved from very repetitive and low-wage to more highly skilled, requiring more thought and therefore more expensive labor. This will be no different. I see robots replacing some of these repetitive tasks in restaurant kitchens so the labor force can spend more time serving customers and making the experience a more pleasant one all around. Will some jobs be lost? Yes, but many will also be created as a result!

Food Odyssey 2030, when you order that burger and fries via Alexa and the automated burger chef says: “We’re sorry, you didn’t follow our instructions on the GPS despite three reroutes, and your last cholesterol test came back a little bit high. You can’t have the cheeseburger and fries today, perhaps a soy burger and a salad?” Compliance is mandatory — resistance is futile.

There are some jobs that robots can handle well and this might be one of them. Anything that can be defined and done repetitively. Of course the robot could not be left alone to man the store but they could certainly flip burgers. The obvious question is, how much will the robot cost and how much will it cost to maintain? If these numbers are less than the cost of an employee, then go for it. For my 2 cents.