AI concession tech at Boston’s TD Garden, Fenway Park sparks worker displacement debate

AI-powered concession technology at Boston sports venues has sparked debate over job displacement, with three readers offering contrasting perspectives on automation’s impact on stadium workers. The discussion centers around Amazon’s Just Walk Out technology implemented at TD Garden and similar systems at Fenway Park, highlighting broader tensions between technological efficiency and worker welfare.

What they’re saying: Three distinct viewpoints emerge from readers responding to concerns about AI replacing concession workers.

• Charlie Tillett from Wayland argues that technological disruption is inevitable: “Just because a workflow is being disrupted by utilizing artificial intelligence does not mean we should be locked into the status quo.”
• Rick Schrenker from North Reading, who spent over 40 years in engineering, warns about changing perceptions of human workers: “During my more than 40-year engineering career, while I did work to develop tools that replaced some human tasks, I never equated people with tools to be used.”
• Claire Daniel from Somerville, Maine proposes direct compensation: “Food services companies such as Aramark should make up the difference for concession workers who are losing tip income to this new technology.”

The technology in question: TD Garden partnered with Amazon in 2021 to install two fully cashier-less stores using Just Walk Out technology on the stadium’s fourth and seventh floors.

• Companies promoting these self-checkout systems cite “increased sales, shorter wait times, and improved fan experiences” as key benefits.
• The technology has expanded to other venues including Fenway Park, where workers report losing tips and hours.

In plain English: Amazon’s Just Walk Out technology works like an automated checkout system where customers can grab items and leave without stopping at a register—sensors and cameras track what people take and automatically charge their accounts.

Why this matters: The debate reflects broader concerns about AI’s role in the workforce, particularly in service industries where human interaction has traditionally been valued.

• Sam Ransbotham, a Boston College analytics professor, emphasizes the need for employers to “think how we can use these people for things that are uniquely human” rather than simply eliminating positions.
• The discussion illustrates the challenge of balancing operational efficiency with worker welfare as AI adoption accelerates across industries.

The bigger picture: This local debate mirrors national conversations about AI’s impact on employment, with stakeholders advocating for everything from embracing technological progress to implementing worker protections and compensation schemes.