Chipotle (CMG) employees have been through a lot over the past year.
Last year, Chipotle was accused of “skimping on ingredients” when serving burrito bowls to customers. In response to this accusation, it became a trend on TikTok to film Chipotle employees preparing burrito bowl orders. Customers believed this would lead them to receive larger portions of food, which frustrated workers.
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Then-Chipotle CEO Brian Niccol later addressed the controversy, claiming that “there was never a directive to provide less” to customers; however, the company found that 10% of its restaurants were serving customers inconsistent food portions.
Related: Chipotle faces lawsuit for serving ‘inconsistent’ portion sizes
Chipotle later began increasing its reliance on technology to simplify operations. In September, it began testing a new robot in select stores “to build bowls and salads” for digital orders, improving “employee efficiency and digital order accuracy,” according to a press release.
It also began testing a new Autocado robot, which “cuts avocados, removes their skin, and separates their fruit through an automated process” in 26 seconds. Chipotle said that this will free up a lot of time for workers, giving them more time to focus on prepping orders and assisting customers.
Chipotle is embracing new technology in its workplace.
Image source: Joe Raedle/Getty Images
Chipotle CEO praises a controversial change
In addition to using robots in select stores, it even began using artificial intelligence to speed up its hiring process as it rapidly opens new restaurants.
In October, Chipotle launched its AI hiring platform “Ava Cado” which aims to “provide a frictionless hiring experience by chatting with candidates, answering their questions about Chipotle, collecting basic information, scheduling interviews for hiring managers, and sending offers to candidates who are selected by managers,” according to a press release.
Related: Chipotle is mulling a controversial change to its menu
In a recent interview with Fortune Magazine, Chipotle CEO Scott Boatwright said that “Ava Cado” has reduced hiring times by 75% as the company plans to open a new Chipotle restaurant almost every 24 hours this year.
“This not only helps us keep our restaurant staffed, but ensures we have the best talent that’s available in the industry,” said Boatwright.
He emphasized that despite the company’s increased reliance on technology, it doesn’t plan on replacing its workers with it.
“We don’t look to replace the human experience; we look to remove waste and expand or enhance the team member experience,” he said.
The use of AI in the workplace is making Americans uncomfortable
The move from Chipotle comes during a time when many companies such as IBM, JPMorgan Chase, and even the IRS have also recently introduced artificial intelligence into its workplace to boost productivity.
In a recent interview with the Wall Street Journal, IBM CEO Arvind Krishna even said that while AI has replaced hundreds of HR workers at his company, it has also resulted in more hiring.
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“While we have done a huge amount of work inside IBM on leveraging AI and automation on certain enterprise workflows, our total employment has actually gone up, because what it does is it gives you more investment to put into other areas,” said Krishna.
As more companies bet big on AI use in the workplace, U.S. workers are concerned about the domino effect this technology can have on their jobs.
According to a recent survey from YouGov, more than one-third of U.S. workers are worried that AI will result in job loss or fewer work hours.
Also, 56% of workers in the survey believe that AI will shrink the number of job opportunities, and 55% think that their work hours will be reduced due to the technology.
Related: Papa Johns makes major menu change to win back customers
