Co-op has been accused of using ‘dangerous’ AI-powered robots to deliver groceries to its customers.
Campaigners said the autonomous machines risk making pavements less safe and accessible.
Walking charity Living Streets wrote to Co-op interim chief executive Kate Allum over the supermarket’s use of Starship Technologies robots.
Starship robots are small machines that can deliver products such as groceries or a takeaway. They have a maximum speed of 4mph and are used for short-distance local delivery.
The charity claims the small six-wheeled robots could create particular problems for older and disabled people and that pavements should not be treated as logistics routes.
It said it had heard from people across Britain who felt the robots were limiting accessibility.
Older people who rely on walking to local shops as part of their daily routine were most at risk, Living Streets said.
The robots are currently used in areas including Leeds, Milton Keynes and Northampton, according to creatorzine.
Starship robots are small machines that can deliver products such as groceries or a takeaway
Walking charity Living Streets wrote to Co-op interim chief executive Kate Allum over the supermarket’s use of Starship Technologies robots
The robots have a maximum speed of 4mph and are used for short-distance local delivery
They are also available in Bedford, Cambourne, Cambridge, Rushden, Trafford, Wakefield and Wellingborough.
But concerns were raised over the robots after one rammed into a German Shepherd in 2023.
Brian Dawson, 56, said a shopping bot rammed into his dog Pippa while they were walking on the pavement near a Co-op branch in Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire.
Mr Dawson, a Tesco delivery driver, said it went on to ram him in the leg, causing him to kick the droid to remove it ‘out of harm’s way’.
The ‘furious’ man told The Sun: ‘It came towards me at considerable speed and hit Pippa, who’s 12 and a bit doddery.
‘I thought, ‘I’m not having that!’ and admit I gave it a bit of a kicking before taking my dog home out of harm’s way.
‘I was furious and went back out to make a note of its serial number or QR code. But it came straight for me again and hit my left leg.’
Customers can order groceries through the Starship app, rather than directly through Co-op and will be met by the small machine at their door.
Staff at a local store load the robot before it travels to the customer’s home and delivery fees start from 99p.
Brian Dawson, 56, said a shopping bot rammed into his dog Pippa during an incident near a Co-Op branch in Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire
Co-op has previously said it uses a combination of sensors, artificial intelligence and machine learning to travel on pavements and navigate around obstacles.
Its computer vision-based navigation technology is designed to map the surrounding environment.
Co-op first began trialling the robots in Milton Keynes in 2018 – and robots have even been given names such as Sir Lance-a-bot, Gizmo and Sunshine.
The robots surged in popularity during the pandemic and their availability has grown since.
They allow the delivery of groceries in as little as 20 minutes.
Several hundred of the robots are now understood to be in use in the UK, serving hundreds of thousands of customers.
Starship Technologies was founded in Estonia in 2014 by Skype co-founders Janus Friis and Ahti Heinla.
The company previously urged for clearer regulation to expand its fleet and support further investment in autonomous deliveries.
Co-op said they do not operate the robots, and that orders are placed directly with Starship Technologies.
