The machine, sitting on a train platform in Tokyo, seems normal enough: You insert coins or pay with your commuter card and choose your drink. But this is no ordinary vending machine.

From afar, the vending machine looks like a digital billboard, flashing ads on a large screen. When you get close that three rows of drinks suddenly appear. Before you know it, the machine has guessed your age and sex and recommended a few things that you might like. You touch the image of the drink you want, and once you’ve paid, your choice drops into the dispenser below.