It's just a vending machine what makes this a dystopia?
this post was submitted on 24 Nov 2025
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A Boring Dystopia
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So this isn't so much a vending machine replacement as it is a coffee kiosk replacement. One that would normally have a human employee or two and is now manned by a robot. The customer will likely end up paying more for their coffee due to the gimmick of the robot. And you know the payment screen is still going to ask for a tip even though the robot doesn't need it.
So, a vending machine.
The openly tip robots get is the Boston dynamics body slam.
You'd think the tip would go to the person who comes in at night to clean and restock, but he/she/xe's likely paid even less than the baristas.
What are you guys on? Vending machines don't ask for tips.
That's the culture in America. The difference with vending machines is there's nobody to judge you for hitting "No Tip".
Prices are in €
Guess that it is setup to look like a coffee shop, instead of a normal vending machine.
IDK, but it perfectly encapsulates the hype.
A vending machine people will pay more for because they can see inside.
And I guess it's less fast and efficient compared to a normal vending machine specifically designed to brew coffee
They are paying for the show after all.
It's really just a gimmick.
And now I want a ground-coffee vending machine made from glass.
Coffee machines have been a thing for I don’t know how many decades, but they complicate it like this…
All the robot arm does is move the cup.
Am I the only person who sees an underpaid, underinsured, entrapped worker slaving away making coffees all day as equally dystopian, if not more?
If there's any vsaving grace for rampant automation, this is fine enough, it isn't art, it isn't critical decision making, it's just coffee.
"But now that worker is unemployed" fine by me. This was barely an occupation, they now have to actually try a bit harder to find a job. If there is someone to blame for this, it isn't the coffee kiosk, it's the government who left this worker hanging without allocating them to a more useful position.
"But can it make coffee?" The answer is finally yes, why aren't you glad?
Now they get paid even less to clean and restock similar kiosks all over the city.
Less than minimum wage?
It may surprise you that some people actually enjoy making coffee all day, the issue is not the occupation but the compensation.
Holding an honest job is something to be respected, not mocked.
You know, I used to long for the day that 90% of comerse would be handled by vending machines...
I'm not sure!