We’ve already seen robots working in car factories, but have you ever seen one pull an espresso shot?
Cloufee & Tea is the first coffee shop in Las Vegas whose main barista is Adam – a stationary robot who knows not only how to make drinks but also talk to customers and remember faces. He even wears a bow tie.
Adam is a product of Richtech Robotics, a local tech company in Las Vegas. Timothy Tanksley, Richtech’s Director of Marketing, explained why they decided to turn him into a barista.
“Across the country, there is a continuing labor shortage,” says Tanksley. “Traditionally, the barista or bartender role has high turnover and high callouts.”
With Adam coming out, the worry of AI tech taking away human jobs in Nevada remains. But could this chubby, friendly robot do that?
“We’ve all seen the Terminator movies,” Tanksley said. “The robots that we design, develop, and deploy are collaborative robots. They’re meant to work alongside humans.”
In Clouffee & Tea, human workers are there to take orders, pour ingredients, and establish connections with customers — something Adam can’t quite do.
On the other end, how might a human in the coffee industry feel about Adam?
JJ Wylie, co-owner of Grouchy John’s, considers coffee shops “a third space,” a place where people can go during their off-time and be comfortable. He would consider incorporating robot tech in his own shop, but human presence is important – even if no one is talking to each other.
“I don’t necessarily see it (AI) as a threat as long as the automation is there to remove the drudgery and not the human element.” says Wylie.
Though Wylie may not be totally opposed, he says that his own baristas have expressed concerns about this kind of AI tech. Some of them fear they might be replaced by it.
If (or when) that day comes, Adam will continue serving coffee and boba at Clouffee & Tea alongside his human companions.
Guests: Timothy Tanksley, director of marketing, Richtech Robotics; JJ Wylie, co-owner of Grouchy John’s coffee shop
