A new convenience store in Hong Kong has no human workers at all, just one humanoid robot running the whole show. Set on the Hung Hom waterfront, the 24-hour pop-up is built inside a portable capsule and managed by a robot named Xiao Gai, made by Beijing-based company Galbot. Standing five feet six with a six-foot arm span, the robot stocks shelves, grabs items, and rings up customers.
It can also strike up friendly chats and speak several languages while selling everything from snacks to over-the-counter medicine. Backers say it shows how AI is creeping into daily life, and Galbot predicts the novelty could boost local foot traffic by up to 40-percent, with plans for 100 more robot stores across ten cities. It is the latest example of robots taking on real jobs, though some past attempts have gone sideways, like an AI that ran a coffee shop and blew its budget ordering 3,000 latex gloves.
Source: Futurism
