Stockholm experiments with a coffee shop completely run by AI

One text describes the experience of this unusual coffee, launched by San Francisco-based startup Andon Labs.

“We believe that AI will play an important role in society and in the labor market in the future,” explains Hanna Petersson, a member of the company’s technical team, which has ten employees, to AFP.

“We want to test it before it becomes a reality and see what ethical issues arise when, for example, an AI employs human beings,” he adds.

Once the location is found, the contract is sent to Gemini, the Google assistant, with the mission of managing the cafeteria profitably. An initial capital is also assigned.

In this precise case, “Mona” requested the necessary permits, created the menu, found suppliers and organized the daily supplies. He even decided he needed human staff to make coffees and hired two people.

“He posted job openings on Indeed and LinkedIn, conducted phone interviews, and then made the hiring decisions,” Petersson adds.

When he saw the offer Kajetan thought it was a joke, especially since it was published on April 1 (April Fool’s Day in much of central and northern Europe). He finally got the job after a 30-minute interview with the AI.

The salary he receives is “good,” he says, but his right to disconnect is not respected at all. “Mona” sends him messages at all hours of the night and doesn’t remember his vacation requests. It also frequently asks you to advance money for certain purchases.

These ethical questions arose quickly in the experiment, Petersson notes. “What salary did he set? What social benefits did he provide? I think he did quite well. He offers a good salary. If he hadn’t, we would have intervened,” he says.

The café, which sees between 50 and 80 customers a day, has only been open for a week, but is already attracting curious onlookers.

Urja Risal, a 27-year-old researcher in AI and sustainable development, went with a friend. “There is a lot of talk that AI is about to take away our jobs, but what would it be like in practice?” he asks.

“I hope more people interact with ‘Mona’ and reflect on the real risks of having an AI as a boss, and how to deal with them. For example, if someone gets hurt, how would they react?” he asks.