Techie Fires Fruit-Stealing Cook Thanks to AI Roommate Surveillance

BENGALURU: A Bengaluru techie has taken “home surveillance” to a whole new level after claiming he fired his cook thanks to an AI-powered “roommate” that allegedly caught her red-handed stealing fruits from his fridge.

Pankaj Tanwar said he deployed an AI assistant in his kitchen after suspecting his cook of pilfering apples, bananas, and blueberries. Within days, Tanwar said the AI confirmed his suspicions and provided a detailed blow-by-blow of the cook’s activities.

“My cook was stealing fruits from my fridge, so I deployed my AI roommate in the kitchen and it caught her red-handed. I caught her twice this week. Just fired her,” Tanwar wrote on X.

Screenshots shared by Tanwar show a chat-style interaction with the AI.

The AI reportedly even generated a “weekly report” detailing multiple visits to the fridge, which fruits went missing, cooking efficiency, and cleanliness — even noting what areas of the kitchen were overlooked. Tanwar said he confronted the cook after reviewing the logs and terminated her employment, though it is unclear whether she admitted to the alleged theft.

The incident has sparked online debate. Some users praised Tanwar for his inventive use of AI, while others raised concerns about privacy, consent, and ethics, questioning the fairness of constant monitoring in a domestic workplace.

The Bengaluru episode highlights a broader trend: AI surveillance is increasingly accessible, but its use in personal spaces, especially around staff, is fraught with ethical and legal gray areas.