Fast food franchises have struggled to replace drive-thru employees with AI chatbots, resulting in corporate disappointment. Not only are customers going crazy with bots getting orders completely wrong, but some company executives are also getting upset over the failed attempt.
Some major players in the field, like McDonald’s, have abandoned their AI-powered drive-thru efforts altogether, indicating that perhaps employing human workers could be a wise long-term investment. Taco Bell soon followed, announcement of It was rethinking the idea after a clip of a customer crashing the system by ordering 18,000 cups of water went viral.
However, Burger King isn’t ready to give up on AI just yet. Instead of annoying customers at the drive-thru, the company wants to annoy its existing employees with technology. As The Verge reportsThe franchise is launching an OpenAI-powered chatbot, named “Patty”, which will talk to employees through headsets they are required to wear.
Worst of all, the company is using AI to track words and phrases like “Welcome to Burger King,” “Please,” and “Thank you.” Managers can then use that data to assess the friendliness of their employees.
“It’s all a coaching tool,” said Thibault Roux, chief digital officer at Burger King. The Verge In a statement, arguing that the company is “doubling down” on having AI police to control the tone of its employees in the future.
The comprehensive “BK Assistant” platform, for which Patty will serve as the voice, will have access to a variety of data points, such as the status of her kitchen equipment or available inventory. For example, as Roux explained, an item could be listed as out of stock “within 15 minutes,” and that could be reflected on digital menu boards throughout the restaurant.
Meanwhile, an AI-powered drive-thru is not yet in the plans for Burger King.
“We’re tinkering with it, we’re playing with it, but it’s still a risky bet,” Roux said. The Verge. “Not every guest is ready for this.”
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