this post was submitted on 27 Jan 2026
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It was more accurately described as computer vision at the time, but your memory is right. They wanted to get to 5% of sales being human reviewed, but it was more like 70%.
What's funny about Amazon's efforts for Just Walk Out is that checkout free shopping already existed. Simply by letting customers carry a handheld scanner and payment terminal around the store with them.
I miss those hand scanners. I used to shoplift ~$50 worth of veg every trip. I wish I could get away with just burning Kroger to the ground, but that was all I could manage at the time.
7-11 theoretically already has it for their app; you scan with your phone and pay with Apple or Google Pay. The only thing is that you're supposed to sort of wave the completed transaction at the cashier as you go, but the only reason you'd really need to use portable self-checkout is if the cashier is busy, and when they're busy they don't want you breaking in line or to stop what they're doing to see that you're showing them a plausibly legitimate checkout screen.
In a completely, utterly, definitely unrelated story, I got accused of shoplifting by a 7-11 cashier the other day.
7-11 doesn't actually have this program, OC just shoplifts there all the time
Both things could be true.
It seems like it would work better to build the scanning tech into baskets/carts.
That could work also, but not all shops have carts, and people don't always need a basket. It's common enough to scan things and pop them directly into a bag you brought, skipping the need for a basket altogether.
Right, but if they want to use this sort of tech, they should probably require baskets.
Why do you think baskets should be required? To prevent theft? This has been implemented for a decade now, evidently thievery isn't much of a concern.
There are no doubt multiple factors at play, but when things are easy and quality of life is decent, the honour system works.
It was a response to other comments on that tech having shortcomings.