It figures that the Japanese would make a talking vending machine:

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For you sir, a canned coffee. And for madam, perhaps a nice cold tea.A new Japanese canned drink vending machine uses facial recognition technology to “recommend” drinks based on the customer’s age and gender — and sales have tripled over those from regular vending machines as a result.

The machines, developed by JR East Water Business Co, a subsidiary of railway firm JR East Co, use large touch-panel screens with sensors that allow the machine to determine the characteristics of an approaching customer.

“Recommended” labels will then appear on specific drink products. Suggested products may also change depending on the temperature and time of day.

“If the customer is a man, the machine is likely to recommend a canned coffee drink, since men tend to prefer these. If the customer is in their 50s, though, that recommendation is likely to be green tea,” a company spokeswoman said.

A woman in her 20s will be recommended a tea drink or slightly sweeter product, since market research has shown that they prefer these.  [Reuters]

Read the rest at the link, but such a vending machine in the US would probably lead to claims of racial, gender, and age profiling.