Square's New AI Kiosk Lets You Order by Talking

Square, the company behind those white payment dongles, has unveiled a new piece of hardware called the Square Kiosk. It's a large, pill-shaped touchscreen—21.5 inches—that you can talk to. Instead of just tapping buttons, you can have a conversation with an AI assistant to place your order. Square says the AI "fully understands a seller's menu and listens and responds in real time," so you can ask questions, request modifications, or make substitutions just like you would with a human cashier. The kiosk also has presence detection, so it can greet you as you walk up, and it accepts contactless payments or cards.

For businesses, the Square Kiosk costs $1,999 upfront and requires a $99 monthly software fee per device, available only to those with a Square Plus or Premium subscription. That might sound steep, but it's in line with other self-service kiosks that can cost thousands. The big draw is the conversational AI, which could reduce the need for staff to take orders and speed up service. For you as a customer, this means you might soon walk into a fast-food joint or coffee shop and simply say, "I'll have a double cheeseburger with no pickles and a large fries," and the AI will handle it—no more scrolling through menus or repeating yourself.

The technology behind this is similar to voice assistants like Siri or Alexa, but tailored for ordering. It's part of a growing trend of AI in physical retail, aiming to make self-service feel more human. However, there are potential downsides. Voice recognition can struggle with accents, background noise, or complex orders, leading to frustration. And while it might speed things up, some people prefer the human touch. Also, privacy concerns: the kiosk listens to you, so you might wonder what happens to your voice data. Square hasn't detailed its data policies yet, but it's something to watch.

Overall, the Square Kiosk represents a step toward more natural, conversational interactions with machines in everyday places. If it works well, it could save you time and make ordering easier. If it doesn't, it could be another frustrating automated system. Only time will tell, but it's a clear sign that AI is moving from your phone into the physical world.