AI Technology Japanese Sushi Restaurant will introduce AI-based cameras to combat ‘sushi tampering’

In response to a viral video trend, Japan’s biggest revolving sushi restaurant, Kura Sushi, brings the conveyor belt and AI-based strategy to prevent food tampering (defined as intentional contamination of sushi food to harm customers or the company).

Previously these cameras were used to monitor the customers taking their meals from conveyor belts to calculate their bills.

By the start of march 2023, the restaurant will upgrade its existing cameras that will utilize artificial intelligence to discover the suspicious opening and closing of Sushi plate lids. The system will automatically notify staff members of any questionable conduct.

In Japan, sushi terrorism is very common, and many people have been annoyed by others performing unhygienic acts with food as they pass by on conveyor belts, as recorded by the camera.

A Twitter video with 98 million views shows a person licking the rim (mouth) of a teacup and the top of a soy sauce bottle before putting it back on the restaurant conveyor belt. Also, people used to touch the passing sushi with their unclean hands.

The above actions recorded in camera footage and the reactions to it caused a 5% decline in shares of Sushiro’s parent company, and the affected restaurant was bound to change all soy sauce bottles and wash each cup.

The Kura Sushi restaurant has been using AI in different ways. In 2020 the restaurant used an app for tuna fish grading as it was importing most of the tuna. This software enables them to access the cut quality rather than going outside during the pandemic. 

The company spokesman said from time to time, we will be improving our systems to handle these kinds of actions and situations.