Fast-food workers striking for higher wages might soon be out of a job after an AI technology company recently released a robot that can cook and plate dishes autonomously. And it is available to rent for a fraction of the cost of a human employee, Forbes reported.
According to Zippia, the average hourly wage of a fast-food worker in the United States is $11.95, with New Hampshire providing the highest average pay, at $16.48 per hour, and Illinois the lowest, at $10.19 per hour.
California Governor Gavin Newsom is driving an effort to raise the minimum wage in the state to $22 per hour to boost the income of fast-food workers. However, those opposed to the measure argued that Newsom will only succeed in driving up costs for business owners, consequently leading to higher consumer prices.
Meanwhile, Nala Robotics is offering restaurants the opportunity to rent “Wingman,” its fast-food robot, for only $2,999 per month, potentially saving employers 75% on wages.
Nala Robotics’ new automated machine can fry chicken wings, fries, and other deep-fried delicacies. The robot is programmed to remove foods from frozen storage or a dispensing area and fry, season, and plate dishes.
The company said that Wingman is able to cook multiple foods at the same time while seasoning them separately. It is also capable of breading chicken, tossing fries, and adding a dry rub to chicken wings.
Nala Robotics, which advertises itself as the “world’s first fully automated restaurant,” said that its revolutionary products would eliminate the need for restaurant owners to close for holidays, late nights, or social distancing considerations. Instead, Nala AI will enable owners to turn their businesses into 24/7 operations.
“The Wingman is our latest robot to help restaurants and other food providers boost efficiency in the kitchen and scale production, while minimizing the potential for contamination,” said Ajay Sunkara, CEO of Nala Robotics. “It’s no secret that chicken wings are a very popular food choice in America and across the globe, prepared in a variety of styles and cuisines. This is where our technology is essential, where we can cook an endless array of dishes, while at the same time meet high consumer demand as labor shortages continue to challenge the industry worldwide.”
The company also offers an autonomous robot capable of making pizzas and another multi-cuisine chef robot that can be customized to learn infinite recipes.
“With its built-in clean in place functionality, The Wingman uses artificial intelligence and high-performance camera and vision systems to significantly improve efficiency for high-volume deep frying, while maintaining high-quality consistency,” Nala Robotics said.