(AFP) – Avocado toast and baristas making frothy lattes are just like any other cafe, but this one in a residential area of Stockholm is run by artificial intelligence (AI).
This cafe features a minimalist design, with a few tables decorated with small plants and gray walls. Behind the counter is Kajetan Grzelczak, a barista hired by Mona, an AI cafe manager powered by Google’s Gemini. “Ordering is not her strong suit,” Grzelchak told AFP.
“So I built a wall of shame for her…” he said, pointing to the shelves behind him.
A wall display shows some of Mona’s unnecessary purchases, including 10 liters (2.6 gallons) of cooking oil and 15 kilograms (33 pounds) of canned tomatoes. Grzelchak laments that he can’t use them for what Mona puts on the menu. Orders can be placed by either Mona or an employee.
In one corner, a large screen displays the cafe’s revenue and balance in real time, and customers can talk to Mona over the phone. The screen also displays a description of this unusual cafe, an experiment by San Francisco-based startup Andon Labs.
ethical questions
“AI is going to be a big part of society and the job market in the future,” Hannah Peterson, a member of the company’s 10-employee technology team, told AFP. “We want to test it before it becomes a reality and see what ethical issues arise if, for example, AI employs humans,” she explained.
Once a building was found, the AI was given a lease and some start-up capital, and given the simple mission of running the cafe profitably.
Mona got to work right away, applying for the necessary permits, creating the menu, finding suppliers, and handling daily replenishment. The AI also realized that it needed people to make the coffee, so it ended up hiring two people. “She posted the job on Indeed and LinkedIn, did a phone interview, and then made the hiring decision,” Peterson said.
When Grzelczak saw the ad, he initially thought it was a joke, especially since it was posted on April 1st. But after a 30-minute interview with the AI, he got the job. The barista said that although he receives a good salary, his right to leave his job is never respected. Mona texts him throughout the night, doesn’t remember his requests for holidays, and regularly asks him to do shopping out of his own pocket.
Peterson said considering such questions is part of the experiment. “What salary did she decide on? What other benefits did she decide on? I think she did a good job. She gives a good salary. If she hadn’t, we would have intervened,” she said.
The cafe has only been open for a week, but it already sees between 50 and 80 curious customers a day.
Urja Rizal, a 27-year-old AI researcher, came to enjoy drinks with friends. “We often hear that AI is going to take our jobs, but what does that look like?” Rizal told AFP. “I hope more people interact with ‘Mona’ and think about the real risks of having an AI manager. For example, how would Mona react if someone got hurt?” she said.
