Robots Will Transform Fast Food

Sawada speculates that 70 percent of the jobs at Japan's hotels will be automated in the next five years. "It takes about a year to two years to get your money back," he said. "But since you can work them 24 hours a day, and they don't need vacation, eventually it's more cost-efficient to use the robot." This may seem like a vision of the future best suited--perhaps only suited--to Japan. But according to Michael Chui, a partner at the McKinsey Global Institute, many tasks in the food-service and accommodation industry are exactly the kind that are easily automated.