In a novel experiment, a McDonald’s restaurant in a Chinese city has introduced humanoid robots to serve meals and entertain its patrons, various reports have indicated.
Social media buzzed with videos showing these lifelike robots at a McDonald’s in Shanghai. The robots seamlessly handled tasks usually carried out by human employees, such as greeting guests and delivering orders.
Customers enjoyed interacting with the robots, which were dressed in McDonald’s signature red-and-yellow uniforms behind the counter. Meanwhile, children found delight in following other robot models designed to resemble adorable animals.
These robots, provided by the Chinese company Keenon Robotics, were part of a trial run at the Shanghai McDonald’s location, as reported by Digitaltrends.
Keenon Robotics shared their excitement on social media, stating, “Our Humanoid series are leading the squad and hitting the streets,” accompanied by a video of the robots engaging with customers.
The company further commented, “It’s a showcase of how service automation is becoming a seamless part of global dining, and how technology brings more smiles to every mealtime.”
McDonald’s did not immediately respond to The Post’s request for comment on details of the trial at the restaurant or whether the integration of humanoid robots is a part of a larger company initiative.
The footage comes amid concerns over artificial intelligence and robots replacing tasks typically completed by human workers at large corporations.
In July, the Wall Street Journal reported that Amazon will soon use more robots in its warehouses than human employees, with more than 1 million machines already deployed across facilities.
Many of these robots handle the heavy lifting in warehouse work, picking items from tall shelves and moving goods around facilities. Others are advanced enough to help humans sort and package orders, according to the Wall Street Journal.
Three-quarters of Amazon’s global deliveries are now assisted by robots in some way, according to the company.
