Special Edition: Robot waiters won’t steal your job—yet

PLUS: The latest AI and tech news.

View this email in your browser  |   Manage newsletter subscriptions 06.03.21 This is a special edition of Fast Forward, our newsletter covering technology's evolution, AI, and more. Sign up to receive this email every Monday and Thursday. SIGN UP Summer on the Jersey Shore means gazing out over the Atlantic from the top of Margate's Lucy the Elephant, playing the vintage pinball machines at Asbury Park's Silverball Museum, and … being served coconut shrimp by a robot in Ocean City. But don't worry: Peanut the robot waiter's limited skill set will prevent it from replacing humans any time soon. One job we might want to outsource to robots? Cleaning up after all those pandemic puppies.     Peanut the Waiter Robot Is Proof That Your Job Is Safe Facing a staffing shortage and a busy summer season, Island Grill in Ocean City, New Jersey, brought on an unconventional new worker: a robot server named Peanut. But as Matt Simon reports, Peanut's limited functionality just proves that humans are indispensable. Peanut, built by Richtech Robotics, ferries dishes to and from the kitchen—but humans on either side have to load its shelves. The robot navigates the restaurant using an infrared camera to read markings on the ceiling, but can get stymied by spills or customers crossing its path. Peanut can ease the workload of human servers, but won't replace them when it comes to attentive customer service. "Robots also lack the kind of intelligence, manual dexterity, and people skills that any good cook, host, or server relies on to keep their diners happy," Matt writes. The owners of Island Grill hope that Peanut is only a temporary addition, until they can hire more workers. But there is an upside: "Children love it. Most people that come in think it's really cool," says Allison Yoa, one of Island Grill's owners. Peanut might even take on one more task: singing "Happy Birthday" to customers. Read more here.     Deep(er) Learning Peanut is far from the first robot worker to struggle on the job. Over the years, WIRED has chronicled the difficulties of putting robots to work. As Robots Fill the Workplace, They Must Learn to Get Along This February, Will Knight reported that even robots don't always get along with their (robo)coworkers. Your Apples May Soon Be Picked By Laser-Shooting Robots In 2019, Matt Simon wrote about the technical challenges of developing robots to pick fruits and vegetables. The Tricky Ethics of Knightscope's Crime-Fighting Robots And back in 2017, Matt Simon explored the tricky ethics of crime-fighting robots. (In fact, just this April, the NYPD sent its robot police dog to the pound after a public outcry, Sidney Fussell reported.)     Recommended Reading   Jeremy White wonders if drones could one day be used to scan the sidewalks for dog poo—and scoop up the mess, too. A federal guide for roads is being revised for the first time in 11 years. Aarian Marshall says it might pave the way to more human-friendly cities. Kate Knibbs takes a Revel moped for a ride—and looks at whether they can be both cool and safe. Last week, WhatsApp sued the Indian government over rules that would weaken privacy protections. Varsha Bansal explains why the fight has global implications. Jaime Stathis reports on the ways apps and VR can be used to help treat patients with OCD.       So, This Happened The pandemic spawned new delivery-only restaurant franchises—and major cravings for chicken wings. (The Verge) 7-Eleven said it will install 500 electric-vehicle charging stations by the end of next year. (TechCrunch) The spike in ransomware attacks spawned a new career field: go-betweens who negotiate with hackers. (The New Yorker) With more than 2,000 drone products on display, last month's drone conference and expo in Shenzhen showed why China is the world leader in commercial drones. (SupChina) Correction: The June 1 edition of the newsletter incorrectly described a new submarine from the Royal Navy as nuclear-powered. It is battery-powered.     Until Next Time   This month in tech history, via WIRED's Gadget Lab Instagram account.     More Essential Reads This Arcane Manual Could Pave the Way to More Human-Friendly Cities Freedom, Mayhem, and the Uncertain Future of Revel's Zippy Mopeds WhatsApp's Fight With India Has Global Implications How Apps and VR Therapy Can Help OCD Patients GET WIRED Memorial Day Sale! Ending Soon: Get WIRED for $10 $5. You can't see into the future, but you can subscribe to WIRED. Subscribe now.             This e-mail was sent to you by WIRED. To ensure delivery to your inbox (not bulk or junk folders), please add our e-mail address, wired@newsletters.wired.com, to your address book.   View our Privacy Policy Unsubscribe or manage your newsletter subscriptions   Copyright © Condé Nast 2021. One World Trade Center, New York, NY 10007. All rights reserved.