Miami Braces for the Future as Delivery Robots Become the New Normal

by Aquiles Legra

Carlos Gazitua, CEO of Sergio’s Restaurant, explains how his restaurant uses delivery robots to help servers and improve efficiency in Miami.

In downtown Miami, something new is moving through the streets, and it’s catching everyone’s attention. Small delivery robots are rolling around on their own, bringing food from restaurants straight to people’s doors. At first, a lot of people weren’t sure what to think.

“I thought it was interesting. I thought it was a little weird. I had never seen them before,” said local resident Michael Ramirez.

Now that these robots are becoming more common, some people are starting to worry about what they mean for jobs in Miami.

“The number of robots keep growing and it’s more convenient for people,” added Ramirez. “Then yeah, they could take away a few of those jobs.”

Robot deliveries in Miami have gone up more than 120% because of DoorDash, and a study from McKenzie Global Institute says that about 30% of fast-food jobs could be replaced by automation by 2030. That has a lot of people wondering what the future will look like.

“I think it’s scary, but I think it’s exciting at the same time,” said chief innovation officer of Mater Brickell, Steven Iglesias. “For the first time in history, tech is outpacing how fast we can adapt as a society.”

One place already using AI is Sergio’s restaurant. They have a robot that carries plates from the kitchen to customers to help the servers, not replace them.

“The thought of the robot was, could the robot bring out the food for the server so the server could take more tables and we could not lose the guest?” said the CEO of Sergio’s Restaurant, Carlos Gazitua. “We can turn the tables faster, which generates more income for the restaurant, more income for the server, and a faster experience for the guests.”

But some workers still feel unsure about it.

“It was always a concern for employees,” said one of Sergio's workers, Lesbeth Mesa. “It scares me for the future because it’s really doing the work that we humans should be doing.”

Miami-Dade County leaders say they’re paying attention to these changes.

“Our job is always to just sort of monitor the situation and provide the proper tools to private business for them to succeed,” said Miami-Dade Commissioner Anthony Rodriguez.

As AI becomes a bigger part of everyday life in Miami, the focus is shifting toward how people will adapt. The technology isn’t slowing down, so everyone will have to learn how to use it and understand it.

“We’re going to have to learn not only what AI is, but we’re going to have to use it,” also said Iglesias.

At this point, it’s not about whether AI will keep growing — it will. The real question is how Miami prepares for the changes coming with it.