Yum Brands CEO Thinks Robots Will Take Over Fast Food In 10 Years

(RTTNews) - Robots will replace human workers in the fast food industry in a decade or so, Yum Brands CEO Greg Creed told CNBC. Many fast-food restaurants will be automated, he predicted.

According to him, artificial intelligence or AI, robots and automation could replace humans in the food services industry by the mid 2020s. However, Creed doesn't expect all human workers in restaurants to disappear completely.

"We don't make a lot of things until customers order. I'm not sure we're going to have robots replace people," Creed said.

Yum, which owns many fast-food restaurant brands such as Pizza Hut, KFC and Taco Bell, has already set up automated kiosks in Shanghai, China. A robot even greet customer in a Pizza Hut in Japan and take orders.

Robots are already being used on factory floors globally. Robotic workers aren't threatening jobs at present, while advanced technology will eventually lead to less work available in the future, Creed noted. "I don't see it changing people's jobs in the short term," he said.

Meanwhile, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin recently said that he is not worried about artificial intelligence displacing jobs for at least 50 to 100 years. While talking to CNBC, Creed said he disagrees with Mnuchin and believes it will be much sooner.

Creed said, "I think it's gonna happen. We'll see a dramatic change in how machines run things."

Other fast-food chains McDonald's and Wendy's are also experimenting with order-taking kiosks, which are supposed to supplement cashiers, not replace them.