Futuristic Robot Cafe in Tokyo Serves a Double Humanitarian Purpose
First-time visitors to Japan are often blown away by the technologically advanced, futuristic edge that many major Japanese cities have, Tokyo in particular. Some establishments have leaned hard into that theme by bringing robots into the mix, such as the Hen-na Hotel, a boutique Tokyo hotel staffed by animatronic androids (and also robot dinosaurs, because why not).
The Dawn Avatar Robot Cafe in Nihonbashi, Tokyo, has also become famous online for a similar reason: their waitstaff is primarily comprised of friendly, futuristic robots. However, this cafe isn't just a novelty restaurant. As tourist Desa Unique discovered on a January 31 visit, the Dawn Avatar Robot Cafe also operates with a secondary humanitarian mission.
This isn't another example of AI preparing to take over the world! At Dawn Avatar Robot Cafe, the robots are remotely controlled by human employees- but not just any humans. As @desauniqueofficial explains, Dawn Avatar Robot Cafe specifically employs people who are homebound or hospital-bound due to illness or disability, providing them with both employment and a much-needed social outlet that they wouldn't otherwise have.
When Desa sat down at a table, she was joined by a little kimono-clad robot, operated by a human communicating with her via microphone. They chatted about Desa's previous visits to Japan, and at the end of their convo, the employee even asked Desa if she'd like to take a picture with him, a request which Desa happily obliged.
There were robots that were built into the tables to accompany diners and larger, mobile robot hosts who could move around the restaurant and bring guests to their tables. Desa visited with several of the different robots around the restaurant to ask them about their jobs, and while a language barrier prevented conversation in some cases, it was heartwarming to see how many people were employed by the futuristic restaurant. Of course, there were also a few in-person human employees to handle things that the robots could not!
A lot of times, when I see restaurants or hotels staffed by robots, it's hard for me to think of them as more than novelty gimmicks for tourists, and sometimes I can't help but also see them as a grim allegory for the way real-life AI is encroaching on many people's livelihoods. But then I see a place like Dawn Avatar Robot Cafe, where the use of robots actually gives disenfranchised humans employment and social opportunities that they wouldn't otherwise have access to, and it reminds me of the uplifting, humanitarian opportunities that modern technology affords us. This cafe has a sleek, futuristic edge, and it helps real people out in the bargain- that's the best of both worlds!
About Dawn Avatar Robot Cafe
The humanistic side of the Robot Cafe comes more into focus online. They have a whole page on their website full of photographs of their "pilots" (aka, their remote workers). Putting human faces to the robots that work in the cafe really reinforces the importance of this restaurant's amazing mission.
The cafe is located in Nihonbashi, a district of Tokyo south of Akihabara (a popular district largely known for its associations with otaku culture). Their dinner service is by reservation only, but you can visit the cafe's bar counter or tele-barista without a reservation. If you plan on visiting Tokyo and want to try a place with a futuristic edge and a lot of heart, then Dawn Avatar Robot Cafe should definitely be on your must-try list!
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