Walt Disney World Union Speaks Out Against AI Replacing Cast Member Jobs as Disney Pilots New Self-Checkout System

Last week, we reported that Walt Disney World had begun a pilot of new AI-powered self-checkout stations at the All-Star Sports food court. The new system, which we put through the paces in a detailed report, aims to cut down on the amount of time that guests spend at the checkout counter, but it also has the potential to eliminate Cast Member jobs if it is rolled out at scale.

As currently implemented, the system does not replace any Cast Members because it is in use at a single check-out stand and a single Cast Member would typically occupy the stand. That said, during busier times, two Cast Members may be in place at the traditional check-out lanes, and then the system would be replacing one of them. In the future, it is not only possible, but likely that a single Cast Member could monitor more than two stations at a time – reducing the number of Cast Members needed at checkout.

Walt Disney World Union Speaks Out Against Use of Artificial Intelligence to Replace Cast Member Jobs

In a statement provided to BlogMickey.com, the Unite Here Walt Disney World Cast Member union responded to the pilot program, saying that they have requested bargaining with Disney and that they will fight to protect Cast Members’ jobs.

The Union has requested bargaining over the pilot project. We will fight to protect every Cast Member’s job. AI should not be used by any company as an excuse to eliminate workers.
Unite Here statement to BlogMickey.com

Walt Disney World did not return a request for comment about the pilot program or if the new AI-powered self-checkout stations will replace Cast Member jobs.

In using the system, there are clearly some bugs to work out, but as the software continues to learn and it will likely improve. Once it is working properly the checkout process should be quite seamless. There will likely always be a need for Cast Member oversight for loss prevention purposes and to assist guests who may struggle with the system, but there is a high likelihood that if this AI-powered self-checkout system gets rolled out to more locations, there will be fewer Cast Members in the checkout area.

Of course, Walt Disney World could always reassign those Cast Members to different locations or job roles.

Earlier this year, we wrote about Disney World’s (possible) “war” on cash registers, noting a trend of reducing physical checkout locations as technology such as Mobile Checkout becomes more popular. As technology continues to advance, it will be interesting to see how it impacts Walt Disney World’s workforce and guest experience.

As always, keep checking back with us here at BlogMickey.com as we continue to bring you the latest news, photos, and info from around the Disney Parks!

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