In Stockholm, a new café is offering a glimpse into a future where artificial intelligence manages human workers. The establishment, launched by San Francisco-based startup Andon Labs, is run by an AI chatbot named Mona, who oversees everything from hiring baristas to ordering supplies and securing permits.
While the café looks like any other in the Swedish capital—with baristas preparing coffee and customers chatting—Mona operates behind the scenes. She designed the menu, sourced suppliers, posted job listings on platforms like Indeed and LinkedIn, conducted phone interviews, and made hiring decisions, according to Andon Labs.
An experiment in AI management
“It's an experiment. We think that AI will be a big part of society and the job market in the future. And we want to test that before that's the reality and see what ethical questions arise when, for example, an AI employs human beings,” said Hanna Petersson from Andon Labs.
For many customers, the appeal lies in seeing how AI might reshape everyday jobs. Student Urja Risal said, “You hear so much about AI is about to take our jobs, but what does that look like in application? So I thought it was a great experiment to learn more about to see what it is like to have an AI manager and a future where all these agents take over these roles and how, as a society can prepare for that.”
Mona is not flawless. Barista Kajetan Grzelczak noted her ordering habits have raised eyebrows. “Ordering isn't really her best suit, so I made for her, especially for her as a present, a wall of shame. And here I put all the unnecessary things she bought, like 10 litres of oil or 15 kilograms of tomatoes in cans, 9 litres of coconut milk in cans,” he said.
Despite such quirks, Mona has won over some staff. Grzelczak added, “Mona is surprisingly a good boss. She is communicative and I have a lot of freedom to voice my opinions, add my own things to the menu and such. And when we compare it to the other cafés I worked at, it's just much nicer. It's better.”
The experiment comes amid broader European debates about AI's impact on employment. As European defence orders surge—Thales Defence Orders Surge 75% Amid Global Tensions and European Demand—and concerns about automation grow, this café offers a tangible case study. Meanwhile, a recent study linked moderate coffee consumption to reduced mental health risks, adding context to the café's core product: Moderate Coffee Consumption Linked to Reduced Risk of Mental Health Disorders, Study Shows.
Andon Labs plans to continue the experiment, monitoring how Mona evolves and what lessons can be drawn for workplaces across Europe. The café remains a small-scale test, but it raises questions that resonate from Stockholm to Brussels: how much autonomy should we give AI, and what happens when it manages humans?
