Technology
Japanese supermarket uses AI to measure employee smiles
A Japanese supermarket chain has introduced an artificial intelligence (AI) system to measure the smiles of its employees.
The system "Mr. Smile", launched by the country's largest supermarket operator AEON, aims to standardize staff smiles and maximize customer satisfaction, according to a report by the South China Morning Post.
AEON conducted a trial of the system in eight of its 240 stores, involving approximately 3,400 employees over three months. The trial found that the "service attitude improved by up to 1.6 times."
In early July, AEON announced that it had expanded the use of the smile-gauging AI system across all its stores nationwide, marking a first in the global retail industry.
The AI system, developed by the Japanese Technology company InstaVR, analyzes over 450 elements, including facial expressions, voice volume, and the tone of greetings.
However, concerns have been raised about the potential for the system to exacerbate workplace harassment, particularly from customers—a significant issue in Japan.
According to Japan's largest union, UA Zensen, approximately 30,000 employees in the service industry and other sectors have reported customer harassment.
-
Technology12h ago
How to Protect Yourself From Scams Following the CrowdStrike Microsoft IT Outage
-
Technology12h ago
What to Know About the Kids Online Safety Act and Its Chances of Passing
-
Technology13h ago
Cheesemaking is a complex science – a food chemist explains the process from milk to mozzarella
-
Technology13h ago
What do genes have to do with psychology? They likely influence your behavior more than you realize
-
Technology14h ago
Meet Shabnam: Pakistan's first AI influencer
-
Technology18h ago
Here Are the States 911 Is Impacted Due to the Microsoft Outage—And What to Do
-
Technology20h ago
US users more concerned about AI privacy than job loss
-
Technology1d ago
July 21 marks hottest day ever recorded, monitor reports