Microsoft might be experimenting with a new cashier-less system to rival competitor Amazon’s automated grocery shop, six people “familiar with the matter” told Reuters in a report on Thursday.
The new system, which is reportedly being developed by Microsoft’s artificial intelligence team, would have cameras attached to shopping carts that would track what shoppers are purchasing. The company is also looking to incorporate the use of smartphones as a way to bypass cashier systems at checkout, according to sources interviewed by Reuters.
Amazon already has a system resembling the one imagined by Microsoft, where shoppers swipe their smartphones at turnstiles before entering Amazon stores. Sensors and cameras keep track of what items are being added to a shopper’s cart and then a function bills the customer’s credit card after he or she leaves the store — no checkout required. (RELATED: Walmart Makes Big Move To Keep Up With Amazon)
Microsoft has not yet set a date to roll out the new cashier-less system, nor will it even confirm that such a system is in the works.
Amazon told The Daily Caller News Foundation it did not have a comment on the possible competition, and Microsoft stated it “does not comment on rumors or speculation.”
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