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Sushi chain installs AI camera system after licking scandal

Major sushi restaurant chain operator Kura Sushi Inc. said Thursday it has installed camera systems equipped with artificial intelligence on conveyor belts at its restaurants, after the industry was shaken by a series of incidents involving customers licking soy sauce bottles and conducting other unhygienic acts. Kura Sushi, which already had cameras installed at its restaurants for counting customers' plates, has modified its system so that it can identify suspicious behavior, such as returning a plate to the conveyor belt. Its offices in Saitama Prefecture, near Tokyo, and Osaka will be notified once the system detects such behavior, and the restaurant in which the incident occurs will be informed. The new equipment can identify the specific plate and seat number in question, it said. "Conveyor belt sushi is something we are proud of as part of Japanese culture. We want to make sure our customers can eat sushi delivered on the belt safely and comfortably," a company official said.

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