{
    "success": true,
    "data": {
        "id": 1729389,
        "msgid": "alfamart-indomaret-employees-could-become-extinct-replacements-emerge-in-china-1778395881",
        "date": "2026-05-10 12:30:00",
        "title": "Alfamart-Indomaret Employees Could Become Extinct, Replacements Emerge in China",
        "author": "",
        "source": "CNBC",
        "tags": "",
        "topic": "Technology",
        "summary": "The rapid advancement of artificial intelligence is raising concerns about job losses in retail, particularly for employees at Indonesian convenience stores like Alfamart and Indomaret, as Chinese firm Galbot launches the world's first autonomous humanoid-operated kiosk in Beijing. The Galbot G-1 robot handles tasks such as greeting customers, retrieving items, and serving snacks and medicine, potentially disrupting traditional retail jobs globally. Galbot aims to expand to 100 stores across 10 Chinese cities by 2026, though challenges remain in improving robot speed and natural interactions.",
        "content": "<p>The rapid development of artificial intelligence (AI) is sparking\nconcerns over the loss of numerous jobs. AI technology is now deemed\ncapable of performing tasks that have traditionally relied on human\nlabour. A clear example is visible in the US, where Amazon has begun\noperating robots in its warehouse facilities to handle various work\nactivities. Meanwhile, China already has a robot training centre in\nWuhan that trains robots to perform jobs such as making coffee and\neveryday household tasks. Recently, reports indicated that a Chinese\nstartup has opened a \u2018shop\u2019 managed by robots. This innovation could\nthreaten the existence of convenience store employees, such as those at\nIndomaret and Alfamart in Indonesia. Galbot, a company in the robotics\nindustry, opened a kiosk in Beijing in August 2025 operated by humanoid\nrobots. They describe the kiosk as the \u201cfirst shop operated by\nautonomous humanoids.\u201d The humanoid used is the Galbot G-1, a two-armed\nrobot launched by Galbot in June 2024. The robot can move around the\nkiosk to fetch items and hand them to customers, just like a human\nemployee. \u201cThe Galbot G-1 robot manages everything, serving thousands of\ncustomers every day. From greeting, serving drinks, snacks, and\nmedicine. Galbot handles every order without remote commands, powered by\nGroceryVLA and GraspVLA,\u201d the company stated. However, the movements of\nthe Galbot G-1 are still somewhat slow. Its functions are not much\ndifferent from a vending machine. Galbot stated that similar kiosks will\nbe opened across China. Most recently, Galbot opened a kiosk in a busy\narea in Beijing, namely the Summer Palace. Galbot CEO Wen Airong\nrevealed ambitions to open 100 stores in 10 cities in China by 2026. To\nachieve this ambition, he and his team must overcome two challenges:\ncreating more \u201cnatural\u201d interactions and increasing operational speed.\nRobot developers, according to Futurism, are indeed struggling to create\nvoice sensor systems that function smoothly in the real world due to\nchanges in voice volume and differences in accents. Movement issues also\npose a major challenge, particularly in creating bipedal robots. To\ndate, according to Futurism, there is no standard design for robot\nmovement using legs.<\/p>",
        "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/alfamart-indomaret-employees-could-become-extinct-replacements-emerge-in-china-1778395881",
        "image": ""
    },
    "sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
    "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}