Chef vs. Robot
3/13/202626 min
Robby the chef has lots of endearing qualities. He can make over 5000 dishes, he’s a consistent cook, and he’s never late for work. But he’s not a human. It is a 750 lb. stainless steel robot. With a rotating wok at its center. It’s a wok-bot.
Automation has changed many industries. But automation only started entering restaurant kitchens in the past couple decades. Which raises the question – what will robots mean for the restaurant industry? How will automation change jobs and how will it change the very food we eat?
Today on the show, we talk with a Nobel prize-winning economist, Daron Acemoglu, about when automation is complementing or displacing workers. And we decide to put this wok-bot to the test. We pit a human chef against Robby the wok-bot in a head-to-metalhead smackdown.
Further Listening/Reading:
- How AI could help rebuild the middle class
- The Big Red Button
- Check out our AI series: Planet Money makes an episode using AI
- Why Nations Fail, America Edition (newsletter)
- A New Way To Understand Automation (newsletter)
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This episode was hosted by Erika Beras and Justin Kramon. It was produced by Sam Yellowhorse Kesler. It was edited by Jess Jiang. It was fact-checked by Sierra Juarez and engineered by Robert Rodriguez with help from Cena Loffredo. Interpretation help from Huo Jingnan. Alex Goldmark is Planet Money*’s executive producer.*
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Clips
Transcript preview
First 90 secondsSpeaker 00:00
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Erika Beras· Host0:16
[upbeat music] This is Planet Money from NPR. A couple weeks ago, I met up with reporter Justin Kraemer in Philadelphia's Chinatown. Hey, Justin.
Justin Kramon· Host0:29
Hey, Erika. Good to see you.
Erika Beras· Host0:30
Justin covers the food scene in Philly sometimes, and there's something he wanted to show me. We walk past restaurants advertising hot pot, hand-drawn noodles, dim sum, and then stopped in front of what looks like a convenience store. Is this it?
Justin Kramon· Host0:45
This is it.
Erika Beras· Host0:46
It has a sign that says Insta Foods. We go in, and towards the back, we see a man.
Justin Kramon· Host0:51
Kenny?
Speaker 30:52
Yep.
Justin Kramon· Host0:53
Great to meet you. Kenny Poon is a co-owner of this place. He's been in the restaurant business for about 25 years, and he's just brought in an exciting new cook.
Speaker 31:02
He can make over 5,000 different dish.
Erika Beras· Host1:04
5,000?
Speaker 31:05
Yes.
Erika Beras· Host1:06
Wow. Kenny says his chef has great qualities that he really values.
Speaker 31:10
So far, he never came late, never call out for sick. I ask him for overtime, he never say no to me.
Erika Beras· Host1:18
He works overtime?
Speaker 31:19
He work overtime.
Erika Beras· Host1:20
Does he never complain?
Speaker 31:21
Never complain.
Erika Beras· Host1:22
Kenny tells us the cook's name is Robby.
Justin Kramon· Host1:24
Can, can we actually... Can we meet Robby?
Speaker 31:26
Yeah. Oh, yeah. Come on.
Erika Beras· Host1:28
Wait, this is