Robots developed by Keenon Robotics are being used to greet and interact with customers
The trial comes amid labour challenges in China, where hiring is tough despite high youth unemployment
McDonald’s is likely to adopt a hybrid model, with robots assisting while human staff handle core operations
Do you visit McDonald’s often? Well, soon you may have to deal with humanoid robots instead of customer executives at the billing. But why? McDonald’s has become one of the first restaurant outlets to start testing humanoid robots for the customer-facing roles. A video of humanoid robots interacting with customers in Shanghai has gone viral and shows a glimpse of what a future with automation may look like.
SurveyThe trial includes the robots, which are developed by Keenon Robotics, that are being used to greet customers and interact with diners inside the restaurant. However, the machines seem to be relatively basic in their movements and capabilities, but this suggests that robots could eventually take on routine tasks such as welcoming guests, assisting with orders, delivering food, and even cleaning.
A McDonald's in Shanghai has begun deploying humanoid robots (from KEENON Robotics) to serve customers.
— CyberRobo (@CyberRobooo) March 18, 2026
> These humanoid robots provide information, greet guests, and help enliven the atmosphere.
> Food delivery robots serve meals to customers and collect used trays.
in the… pic.twitter.com/IEFzucz3IE
This experiment comes at a time when China is facing a labour market situation- many businesses in different sectors are facing difficulty in hiring workers, but many young people are still struggling to find jobs.
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For restaurant operators, robots present the possibility of a consistent and potentially lower-cost workforce. However, the growing presence raises concerns about job displacement, particularly in the service sector, where opportunities have long existed. At the same time, trends are changing. Automation appears to be the company’s next plan to fill labour gaps rather than directly replacing human workers.
But it must be noted that the use of humanoid robots in McDonald’s outlets is in the experimental stage and with limited scope. The report suggests that the outlet chain may choose a hybrid model where human staff continue to handle most operations while robots take on simpler and customer-facing duties.
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Ashish Singh
Ashish Singh is the Chief Copy Editor at Digit. He's been wrangling tech jargon since 2020 (Times Internet, Jagran English '22). When not policing commas, he's likely fueling his gadget habit with coffee, strategising his next virtual race, or plotting a road trip to test the latest in-car tech. He speaks fluent Geek. View Full Profile
