Using AI, a restaurant chain will fight "sushi terrorism"

Sushi lovers in Japan were horrified last month when a number of films showed customers engaging in disgusting behaviors including slobbering on menu items at a restaurant's conveyor belt and leaving them there for other unwitting guests to consume. The risky conduct has been nicknamed "sushi terrorism," and it appears to have been carried out as stunts by a small group of attention-seeking social media users. Photo Credit: The Guardian Restaurants in the sector are now frantically trying to reassure clients that they are taking all necessary precautions to guarantee the safety of their food. According to a story from the Yomiuri Shimbun on Tuesday, one chain, Kura Sushi, intends to use artificial intelligence (AI)-enhanced cameras to screen guests for questionable conduct. This video demonstrates how Kura Sushi's sushi dishes currently appear on the conveyor belt with a cover. The cover flips up when you take the plate and then back down once a diner has entirely taken the chosen dish. Kura Sushi began employing AI cameras at the end of 2021 to watch the opening and closing of the covers as part of a project to track plate consumption. The business has now announced that it will improve the camera system to enable it to recognize suspicious activity as well, such as the repeated opening and closing of a cover. The chain store will be contacted by the main office if it suspects that there may be inappropriate behavior, and employees will either speak with the customer or report the matter to police, according to the Yomiuri. Photo Credit: Binghampton University The biggest sushi chain in the business, Akindo Sushiro Co., has started an order-only service as of last week in order to guarantee that goods are kept on the belt for the least amount of time. A client at Sushiro recorded himself spit-tapping sushi as it moved by on the conveyor belt. Kappa Sushi, a different company, has instructed workers to keep an eye out for patrons tampering with menu items and has increased security camera checks. The first conveyor belt-equipped sushi restaurant in Japan debuted in Osaka in 1958, but it wasn't until the 1970 Osaka World Expo that the concept gained widespread attention. Photo Credit: Messy Nessy Chic The sushi is frequently served today's eateries without a cover, but given recent events, this is likely to alter. In fact, some people worry that the so-called sushi terrorism has endangered the conveyor-belt format's very existence.