Aeon, a major Japanese supermarket chain, has introduced a new AI system designed to evaluate and “standardize” employee smiles. On July 1, the company announced the rollout of the “smile-rating AI system,” named “Mr. Smile,” across 240 stores in Japan. This move makes Aeon the first company to employ such technology on this scale.

Developed by the Japanese company InstaVR, Mr. Smile claims to accurately assess employees’ demeanor and rate their overall attitude based on over 450 factors, including greeting, facial expressions, voice volume, and tone. Aeon states its goal is to “standardize staff members’ smiles and satisfy customers to the maximum.”

Mr. Smile incorporates game-like elements to motivate staff to improve their scores and, consequently, their “service attitude.” Aeon conducted a successful trial of the AI software in eight stores involving about 3,400 employees. The trial reportedly improved “service attitude” by 1.6 times over three months, leading to the recent rollout to all its stores.

The constant scrutiny of every action—down to one’s smile—throughout a shift is likely to lead to some form of attitude adjustment, especially in a culture known for valuing the concept of “saving face.” However, the implementation of such technology might evoke comparisons to a dystopian scenario reminiscent of a Black Mirror episode.

By Impact Lab