Unmanned AI convenience store opens at Tokyo's new Takanawa Gateway Station

An unmanned convenience store began operations Monday at a recently opened station on Tokyo's Yamanote loop line, using artificial intelligence not just to allow speedy self-checkouts but to also prevent shoplifting. The store is a key feature at the Takanawa Gateway Station, which opened on March 14 as the first new stop on the line in nearly 50 years. About 50 cameras installed inside the roughly 60-square-meter store identify every item customers pick up. The store's exit gates open once the customer makes a payment. The AI used at the shop has been trained to recognize customer behavior, including how items are carried, and it almost fully prevents shoplifting by accurately recognizing when merchandise is taken from shelves, according to its developer Touch To Go Co. Attempts in a demonstration to hide merchandise under clothes or avoid being seen on the cameras while stashing it in a bag were all detected.