But can it cook? Planet Money checks out restaurant automation -- and a robot wok

NPR | By Erika Beras,

Justin Kramon

Published March 17, 2026 at 4:03 PM EDT

Automation has made its way into restaurant kitchens. Planet Money looks at what the effects of automation have been historically — and watches a robot wok in action to see how it may change things.

Erika Beras

Erika Beras (she/her) is a reporter and host for NPR's Planet Money podcast.

Justin Kramon

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