Meet Matilda: The AI 'Metahuman' Taking Orders at a Tasmanian Takeaway Shop
The Mercury
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- Date Published
- 3 Jan 2026
- Priority Score
- 2
- Australian
- Yes
- Created
- 3 Jan 2026, 07:01 pm
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Description
A local takeaway shop has made the unorthodox move of deploying an AI “metahuman” to take customer orders and assist people with other queries.
Summary
The article covers the introduction of an AI 'metahuman', named Matilda, at a takeaway shop in Tasmania, marking an innovative application of AI technology in customer service. This demonstrates a practical deployment of AI in a retail setting, which may have implications for future employee roles and automation. While the article highlights a novel use of AI, it does not delve deeply into existential or catastrophic AI risks but offers insights into the evolving role of AI in everyday business operations. This development is relevant to discussions about how AI technologies can enhance efficiencies in customer-oriented businesses.
Body
Meet Matilda: The AI ‘metahuman’ taking orders at a Tassie takeaway shopA local takeaway shop has made the unorthodox move of deploying an AI “metahuman” to take customer orders and assist people with other queries.
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