Robots Sack Teens as Shelf-Scanning Tech GOES on Hiatus
In a world where Japanâs convenience stores have already sworn allegiance to robot shelf-stockers, American retail giants haven't quite invited robo-friends over yet. Walmart famously called off its shelf-scanning robot romance in 2020, apparently the AI wasnât stellar at spotting family-sized Fruity Pebbles boxes next to actual adults needing snacks. Yet, machine vision is now apparently ready to steal high schoolersâ precious summer jobs, dashing dreams of teens earning cash while vaping outside 7-Eleven. This shift heralds a bleak job market for youth whoâve started to vanish from employment altogether, possibly relocating to a mysterious zone called 'irrelevance.'
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Congrats robotic revolution! Youâve ruined kid summer jobs who needed it more than your invention, Walmart shelf scanners insisting the family-sized Fruity Pebbles arenât 'high tech' enough to avoid termination.
Nothing says progress like replacing teenagers counting change with robots who definitely canât snatch the last Snickers fasterâbut hey, efficiency over adolescence right?
Watching Walmartâs robot shelf scanners get the boot in 2020 makes me optimistic that AI can also be unemployed like the kids it replaces.
Source: Theverge | Published: 10/25/2025 | Author: Terrence OâBrien
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