'Stop measuring us and let us be': Coffee shop checks employee productivity with AI, prompts horror from the internet

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Ally Perry • Writer and Editor
Feb 5, 2024 6:00 PM EST

Hospitality work has never been a profession for the weak, but it looks like technology is about to make it a whole lot more difficult. In a just world, the radical developments we have seen in AI would be helping us all to grind less — however, a recent viral video seems to prove that the exact opposite is happening. 

Posted to Twitter, the clip demonstrates how a coffee shop uses an AI program to monitor CCTV. Observing things like how many cups of coffee the baristas were making and how long the customers were staying, it's fair to say that most people were not impressed by all of this measuring. Many claimed that it was counterproductive to the goal of making sure employees were working hard. Kudos to anybody who has to deal with the stress of customer service under these conditions, because it isn't plain sailing in the first place. 

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  • 01
    things JOM HOW THINGS WO... @HowThingsWork_ Subscribe Dystopian. This coffee shop uses Al to measure the productivity of their employees & also the time spent in the shop per customer.
    via HowThingsWork_
  • 02
    via HowThingsWork_
  • 03
    David Elikwu FRS... @Delikwu Follow Replying to @HowThingsWork_ Data tracking like this revolves around you being convinced that the job of every barista is to serve n cups of coffee and not to deliver an experience that delights customers and makes them want to come back. I've never returned to a cafe because of the speed - only the people.
    via Delikwu
  • 04
    Fernando Ocasio @TechPalsTalk Follow Replying to @HowThings Work_ If they doing all that, at this point just have the robots serve the coffee therefore you don't have to worry about "productivity"
    via TechPalsTalk
  • 05
    KnightlyScribe ✪ @KnightlyScribe Follow Replying to @HowThingsWork_ The solution is simple: everyone should quit. Throughout history, terrible things have happened because of compliance. When will we stop complying?
    via KnightlyScribe
  • 06
    TheWorstEver → @WorstEverStuff Follow Replying to @HowThings Work_ I'm out. New job immediately. Whatever school I need to attend or skill I need to learn is happening.
    via WorstEverStuff
  • 07
    Space Sheriff... @sheriff_shaider Replying to @HowThings Work_ Step it up Olga! 1 hour 15 min hour Follow Olga 3 cups Elena 10 cups Anna 20 cups
    via sheriff_shaider
  • 08
    Sonam Murarkar ✔ @murarkar_sonam Replying to @HowThings Work_ Dystopian indeed! but using it to track customer behavior in a coffee shop seems to take things to a whole new level. Follow
    via murarkar_sonam
  • 09
    turkish @t_rkish 3d Replying to @HowThingsWork_ This has been a thing for a long time. ●
    via t_rkish
  • 10
    Rodrigo Bressane @bressane - 2d Replying to @HowThingsWork_ Anna is killing! Anna 20 cups :
    via bressane
  • 11
    Mike Prysner @MikePrysner · 1d Replying to @HowThings Work_ When I was a cashier at Ralph's in 2015 they had a similar thing just not Al. Camera over every register measure length of the line, combined with food scan speed, created a "productivity score" on a live graph that regional managers could see and crack down on slower employees
    via MikePrysner
  • 12
    muzza @muzza456ao 2d Replying to @HowThingsWork_ How's about stop measuring us and let us be. Worker or customer, just let us be
    via muzza456ao
  • 13
    Waluigi Replying to @HowThingsWork_ There's no way this would increase profits meaningfully @givinguponman. 2d
    via givinguponman
  • 14
    DuniyaLove @duniyalover.3d Replying to @HowThings Work_ Will ruin what coffee shops are supposed to be. Creative and collaborative spaces where new ideas come in or you meet your love. Now just take the cup, sip fast and leave. Might as well order subscription coffee, expresso machine and meet people online.
    via duniyalover
  • 15
    emily coolboobs @coolboobs. 1d : personally i prefer going to coffee shops where the baristas are palpably overworked and stressed so that i can get my coffee 29 seconds faster. i prefer this environment as a customer
    via cooIboobs
  • 16
    Prof. Farhana Sultana @Prof FSultana Name this stage of capitalism Follow
    via Prof_FSultana
  • 17
    RiscV @MKVRiscy • 2d Every Al productivity tool I've ever been forced to use was the biggest waste of time ever, the whole point of this tool is to give managers zero-context metrics to nitpick over because business types think more quantitative things they can minmax is inherently better
    via MKVRiscy
  • 18
    RRRR. AM*( The Commune of Idl... @farts Follow this has always been the goal of Al and anyone who thinks otherwise is delusional
    via f_a_r_t_s
  • 19
    The Cheerful Millenial @coolpinp Cashier and woman making food have made less coffee than the woman making coffee. Thanks Al! Follow
    via coolp1np
  • 20
    Ayon Dr. Guy McHendry @acaguy. 3d This kind of workplace surveillance is demoralizing.
    via acaguy
  • 21
    Judith Butler Bible T... @philosophysux Olga is such a queen for this one Follow
    via philosophysux
  • 22
    Matt Darlingen @besttrousers This is interesting, but I would not be surprised if stuff like this ends up giving managers *distorted* views of individual productivity that actually makes management worse. Follow
    via besttrousers

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