In Sunderland, UK, a trial of small, autonomous food delivery robots has generated excitement and anxiety among residents. Starship Technologies created these robots specifically made to deliver meals. They’re currently rolling through the city streets courtesy of 12 different local restaurants, like Koji on High Street West. The initiative, spearheaded by the online delivery firm Just Eat, aims to address staffing shortages faced by businesses during busy periods.
Rachael Atkinson’s young son, Teddy, was particularly taken aback by the sight of the six chunky rubber-wheeled robots gliding along the roads. Atkinson, of course—for all her positive emotions—was conflicted about the technology. WNO She referred to the robots as a “crazy little thing.” Beyond that, she voiced worries that they might be able to poach “a whole bunch of people’s jobs.”
Peter Richardson, a local resident and early “robot driver,” stressed the special nature of the robots. He stated, “It was really important, it’s such a unique thing and not something you expect to see.” He noted their positive impacts on small local businesses, which are struggling with staffing shortages. “If one day something did go wrong and drivers went, there you’ve got that back-up, so you can still get that food out,” Richardson remarked.
The robots feature tall poles with bright, flashing orange flags that announce their approach. Just like their self-driving counterparts, they have built-in cameras to help them see. This enables them to zip around city center safely even with live customer orders in their queue. Koji and other local restaurants have been warmly embraced by diners and found great success. Some community members fear this would be a death knell for thousands of local jobs.
Alex Marshall, president of the Independent Workers’ Union of Great Britain (IWGB), spoke out against the rollout of this technology. He thinks it might be revolutionary for workers. He described the scene as “dystopian.” He cautioned that it would result in increased job loss and greater precarity for delivery workers.
Amid public concerns, Starship Technologies attempted to soothe the public’s fears by promising that human couriers would not be replaced by robots. Ahti Heinla, the founder and chief executive of Starship Technologies, noted, “I think there will be more and more both human couriers and delivery robots.” He further clarified how the technology supports those who are more homebound and less mobile. It opens markets to deliveries without displacing a single human worker.
Heinla highlighted the importance of robots to address our growing demand for deliveries. He acknowledged there will always be a role for humans in some routes. “Robots have a key role to play in the delivery of infrastructure to help meet the growing demand,” he stated.
Sunderland is leaning into this experimental new kind of delivery service. Yet this debate persists, as society grapples with the need for technological advancement against the desire to protect existing jobs. That successful small trial could more broadly pave the way to having food delivery robots swarm around our cities. It raises some powerful questions that we need to be asking about tomorrow’s workforce in an age of automation.