"Some major players in the space, like McDonald's, have given up on their AI-powered drive-thru efforts entirely, signaling that perhaps employing human workers may be a wiser long-term investment. Taco Bell soon followed suit, announcing it was rethinking the idea after a clip of a customer crashing the system by ordering 18,000 cups of water went viral."
"Burger King, though, isn't quite ready to give up on AI just yet. Instead of infuriating customers at drive-thrus, the company is looking to exasperate its existing employees with the tech instead. The franchise is launching an OpenAI-powered chatbot, dubbed "Patty," that will speak to the staffers through the headsets they're required to wear."
"Worst of all, the company is using the AI to monitor words and phrases, such as "welcome to Burger King," "please," and 'thank you.' Managers can then use that data to gauge the friendliness of their staff. This is all meant to be a coaching tool, according to Burger King's chief digital officer."
Major fast food franchises have largely abandoned AI-powered drive-thru systems after widespread failures resulted in incorrect orders and frustrated customers. McDonald's and Taco Bell discontinued their efforts entirely, recognizing that human workers remain more reliable. Burger King, however, is pursuing a different AI strategy by deploying an OpenAI-powered chatbot called "Patty" that communicates with employees through their headsets. The system monitors specific words and phrases like "welcome to Burger King," "please," and "thank you" to assess staff friendliness, with managers using this data for employee coaching. The broader "BK Assistant" platform provides additional functionality, including real-time inventory tracking and equipment status updates reflected on digital menu boards.
#ai-in-fast-food #employee-monitoring #drive-thru-automation #workplace-technology #customer-service
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