Chef vs. Robot
Planet Money
NPR
4.6 • 30.5K Ratings
🗓️ 13 March 2026
⏱️ 26 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Automation has changed many industries. But automation only started entering restaurant kitchens in the past couple decades. Which raises the question – what will robots mean for the restaurant industry? How will automation change jobs and how will it change the very food we eat?
Today on the show, we talk with a Nobel prize-winning economist, Daron Acemoglu, about when automation is complementing or displacing workers. And we decide to put this wok-bot to the test. We pit a human chef against Robby the wok-bot in a head-to-metalhead smackdown.
Further Listening/Reading:
- How AI could help rebuild the middle class
- The Big Red Button
- Check out our AI series: Planet Money makes an episode using AI
- Why Nations Fail, America Edition (newsletter)
- A New Way To Understand Automation (newsletter)
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This episode was hosted by Erika Beras and Justin Kramon. It was produced by Sam Yellowhorse Kesler. It was edited by Jess Jiang. It was fact-checked by Sierra Juarez and engineered by Robert Rodriguez with help from Cena Loffredo. Interpretation help from Huo Jingnan. Alex Goldmark is Planet Money’s executive producer.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | This is Planet Money from NPR. |
| 0:05.9 | A couple weeks ago, I met up with reporter Justin Kramon in Philadelphia's Chinatown. |
| 0:11.5 | Hey, Justin. |
| 0:12.4 | Hey, Erica. Good to see you. |
| 0:14.0 | Justin covers the food scene in Philly sometimes, and there's something he wanted to show me. |
| 0:18.5 | We walked past restaurants, advertising hot pot, |
| 0:21.4 | hand-drawn noodles, dimsum, and then stopped in front of what looks like a convenience store. |
| 0:27.3 | Is this it? Is it? It has a sign that says Insta Foods. We go in, and towards the back, we see a man. |
| 0:34.9 | Kenny, yep. Great to meet you. |
| 0:39.3 | Kenny Poon is a co-owner of this place. |
| 0:44.2 | He's been in the restaurant business for about 25 years, and he's just brought in an exciting new cook. |
| 0:45.3 | He can make over 5,000 different dish. |
| 0:47.8 | 5,000? |
| 0:48.7 | Yes. |
| 0:49.5 | Wow. |
| 0:50.1 | Kenny says his chef has great qualities that he really values. |
| 0:53.7 | So far, he never came late, never called out for sake. I asked him for overtime. He never said no to me. He works overtime. He works overtime. Does he never complain? Never complain. Kenny tells us the cook's name is Robbie. Can we actually, can we meet Robbie? Yeah. Oh yeah. Come on. Wait, this is Robbie? |
| 1:13.5 | That's why I'll be right here. Yep. Robby's a machine. Not a human. The always on time, never sick, |
| 1:21.0 | never talks back employee, is an automated walk, a robot chef. |
| 1:31.1 | Hello and welcome to Planet Money, I'm Erica Barris. |
| 1:33.7 | And I'm Justin Craymon, robot chefs. |
| 1:34.5 | They're here. |
... |
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