Indomaret-Alfamart Employees Could Become Extinct, Their Replacement Already Exists in China
Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia - Several jobs are feared to become extinct and be replaced by artificial intelligence (AI) technology. As it develops, AI is becoming increasingly sophisticated and capable of performing tasks that previously could only be done by human workers.
A real example of this concern is evident in the United States (US). The e-commerce giant Amazon has already utilised robots in its warehouse facilities to perform various tasks.
Meanwhile, China already has a robot training centre in Wuhan that trains robots to do jobs such as making coffee and everyday household tasks.
A recent report also mentioned that a startup from China has opened a ‘stall’ operated by robots. This innovation could threaten the existence of convenience store employees, for example, in Indonesia, employees at Indomaret and Alfamart.
Galbot, a company operating in the robot industry, opened a kiosk in Beijing in August 2025 that is operated by humanoid robots. They call the kiosk the “first store operated by autonomous humanoids.”
The humanoid used is the Galbot G-1, a two-armed robot that Galbot launched in June 2024. The robot can move around the kiosk to pick up items and hand them to customers, just like a human employee.
“The Galbot G-1 robot manages everything, serving thousands of customers every day. From greeting, serving drinks, snacks, and medicine. Galbot handles every order without remote commands, powered by GroceryVLA and GraspVLA,” the company stated.
However, the Galbot G-1’s movements are still somewhat slow. Its functions are not much different from a vending machine.
Galbot stated that similar kiosks will be opened across China. Most recently, Galbot opened a kiosk in a bustling area in Beijing, namely the Summer Palace.
Galbot CEO Wen Airong revealed ambitions to open 100 stores in 10 cities in China by 2026. To achieve this ambition, he and his team must overcome two challenges: creating more “natural” interactions and improving operational speed.
Robot developers, according to Futurism, are indeed struggling to create voice sensor systems that work smoothly in the real world due to changes in voice volume and differences in accents.
Movement issues are also a major challenge, particularly in creating bipedal robots. So far, according to Futurism, there is no standard design for robot movement using legs.