Restaurants might lose the human touch as operations become more automated

Will Smith in "I, Robot," Steven Spielberg's "A.I." and Ridley Scott's famous American neo-noir science fiction film "Blade Runner" are all movies that depict an alternate reality showcasing technological complexities far unlike our own.

As technology becomes more advanced, however, we inch closer to a world of automated machines.

A new report from Cornerstone Capital Group, a financial services firm, believes that fast-food establishments will be swapping out humans for automated machines, their reasoning being that increased food prices, Obamacare’s boost in the cost of employees and income distribution trends will make automation the more cost-effective option when serving customers.

Since fast-food restaurants already operate on a slim profit margin, these factors threaten already high food costs (they account for about 60 to 70 percent of the industry’s revenue).

While these are changes we could see in the future, we shouldn’t expect to see automated kitchens and fast-food robots until another decade or so.

"When possible, technology used in ordering (kiosks, mobile, online ordering) can speed the process, improve accuracy and decrease labor cost to the operator, allowing them to maintain their current cost margins," according to Darren Tristano, executive vice-president at Technomic, a firm that tracks the fast-food industry.