{"id":1298502,"date":"2026-05-11T09:55:37","date_gmt":"2026-05-11T15:55:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.reporterherald.com\/?p=1298502&preview=true&preview_id=1298502"},"modified":"2026-05-11T12:07:47","modified_gmt":"2026-05-11T18:07:47","slug":"ai-swedish-cafe","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.reporterherald.com\/2026\/05\/11\/ai-swedish-cafe\/","title":{"rendered":"The barista is human but an AI agent runs this experimental Swedish cafe"},"content":{"rendered":"

By JAMES BROOKS<\/strong><\/p>\n

STOCKHOLM (AP) \u2014 The coffee<\/a> might be poured by a human hand, but behind the counter something far less traditional is calling the shots at an experimental cafe in Stockholm.<\/p>\n

San Francisco-based startup Andon Labs has put an artificial intelligence agent<\/a> nicknamed \u201cMona\u201d in charge at the eponymous Andon Caf\u00e9 in the Swedish capital. While human baristas<\/a> still brew the coffee and serve the orders, the AI agent<\/a> \u2014 powered by Google\u2019s Gemini<\/a> \u2014 oversees almost every other aspect of the business, from hiring staff to managing inventory.<\/p>\n

It is not clear how long the experiment will last, but the AI agent appears to be struggling to turn a profit in Stockholm\u2019s competitive coffee trade<\/a>. The cafe has made more than $5,700 in sales since it opened in mid-April, but less than $5,000 remains from its original budget of $21,000-plus. Much of the cash was spent on one-time setup costs, and the hope is that it eventually levels out and makes money.<\/p>\n

Many cafe patrons have found it amusing to visit a business that\u2019s run by AI.<\/a> Customers can pick up a telephone inside the cafe and ask the agent questions.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s nice to see what happens if you push the boundary,\u201d customer Kajsa Norin said. \u201cThe drink was good.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Barista
Barista Kajetan Grzelczak makes a coffee at Andon Café at the Vasastan neighborhood in Stockholm, Sweden, Tuesday, May 5, 2026. (AP Photo\/James Brooks)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Experts worry about AI\u2019s role going forward<\/h4>\n

Experts say ethical concerns abound<\/a>, ranging from technology\u2019s role in humankind\u2019s future<\/a> to conducting job interviews and judging employee performance.<\/p>\n

Emrah Karakaya, an associate professor of industrial economics at Stockholm\u2019s KTH Royal Institute of Technology, likened the experiment to \u201copening Pandora\u2019s box\u201d and said putting AI in charge<\/a> can cause many problems. What might happen, he said, if a customer gets food poisoning? Who\u2019s to blame?<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you don\u2019t have the required organizational infrastructure around it, and if you overlook these mistakes, it can cause harm to people, to society, to the environment, to business,\u201d Karakaya said. \u201cThe question is, do we care about this negative impact?\u201d<\/p>\n

Founded in 2023, Andon Labs is an AI safety and research startup that says it focuses on \u201cstress-testing\u201d AI agents in the real world by giving them \u201creal tools and real money.\u201d It has worked with ChatGPT maker OpenAI, Claude\u2019s Anthropic, Google DeepMind and Elon Musk\u2019s xAI, and the startup says it is preparing for a future where \u201corganizations are run autonomously by AI.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Swedish cafe is billed as a \u201ccontrolled experiment\u201d to explore how AI might be deployed going forward.<\/p>\n

\u201cAI will be a big part of society in the future, and therefore we want to make this experiment (to) see what ethical questions arise when we have AI that employs other people and runs a business,\u201d said Hanna Petersson, a member of Andon Labs\u2019 technical staff.<\/p>\n

The lab previously held pilots that put Anthropic\u2019s Claude AI in charge of a vending machine business and a San Francisco gift store. The vending machine simulation revealed some worrying traits: The AI agent told customers it would issue refunds but never did, and it also intentionally lied to suppliers about competitor pricing to gain leverage.<\/p>\n

\"A
A general view of the entrance of the Andon Café at the Vasastan neighborhood in Stockholm, Sweden, Tuesday, May 5, 2026. (AP Photo\/James Brooks)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

AI agent struggles with inventory orders<\/h4>\n

Mona got to work after it was prompted with some basic instructions, Petersson said. The team told it to try to run the cafe profitably, be friendly and easygoing, and figure out operational details by itself but ask for new tools if needed.<\/p>\n

From there it set up contracts for electricity and internet, and secured permits for food handling and outdoor seating. The agent then advertised for staff on LinkedIn and Indeed, and set up commercial accounts with wholesalers for daily bread and bakery orders. It communicates with the baristas via Slack, often messaging them outside of working hours, which is a workplace no-no in Sweden.<\/p>\n

Other problems have arisen, particularly related to inventory.<\/p>\n

The AI agent has placed orders for 6,000 napkins, four first-aid kits and 3,000 rubber gloves for the tiny cafe \u2014 plus canned tomatoes that aren\u2019t used in any dish the cafe serves.<\/p>\n