Robot baristas may be the future of South Korea's coffee culture

In this May 22, 2019, photo, a customer waits for a coffee in front of a robot named b;eat after placing an order at a cafe in Seoul, South Korea. SEOUL, South Korea – Are robot baristas the future of South Korea's vibrant coffee culture? The company now has 45 robot-equipped outlets in shopping malls, company cafeterias, schools and an airport. Coffee is just one of many industries that could be transformed by automated services in this tech-forward nation, a notion both exciting and worrisome as jobs become scarcer. South Korean industries, including restaurants, convenience stores, supermarkets, banks and manufacturers, are relying increasingly on robots and other automation.