this post was submitted on 26 Feb 2026
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The company compiled information from franchisees and guests on how to measure friendliness, resulting in the fast food chain training its AI system to recognize certain words and phrases, such as “welcome to Burger King,” “please,” and “thank you.” Managers can then ask the AI assistant how their location is performing on friendliness.

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[–] felsiq@piefed.zip 161 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Not like I was going to burger king anyway but this is a solid reason not to

[–] nondescripthandle@lemmy.dbzer0.com 74 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

I wish I could explain to companies how fucking awkward and horrible it feels to be on the receiving end of forced gratitude. Even if I liked the restaurant, I wouldn't be able to go if they did this.

I guess it's no surprise that rich people think the experience is still the same with or without the consent of the providing party.

[–] Wammityblam@lemmy.world 19 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

They don’t care. They only care about like go up.

They’re hoping to phase out human employees ASAP.

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[–] canadian_commie@lemmy.world 90 points 2 weeks ago (3 children)

This is the worst timeline. 1984 was a warning not an instruction manual.

[–] Canconda@lemmy.ca 39 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

And Idiocracy was a comedy not a documentary

[–] Gsus4@mander.xyz 29 points 2 weeks ago (3 children)
[–] Archer@lemmy.world 9 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

If only we lived in a world where the President of the United States went and recruited the smartest person in the world to solve the most difficult problems

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[–] binarytobis@lemmy.world 37 points 2 weeks ago (4 children)

I went to Wendy’s the other day, and they have this automatic pre-recorded English-fluent woman cheerfully ask for your order. While an actual person didn’t indicate that they were ready, I know they won’t do a second intro message either way, so I started to order. A heavy spanish accent comes over the speaker “Fucking wait, god.” My only thought was “Fair enough” and I waited.

Whoever implements these systems is crazy. We don’t pay people enough to be policed that heavily.

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[–] Archangel1313@lemmy.ca 35 points 2 weeks ago (3 children)

So...instead of AI doing the work...AI is going to be the Boss?

Fuck. That.

[–] Jakeroxs@sh.itjust.works 24 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

And middle managers everywhere don't see the writing on the wall somehow.

[–] webhead@lemmy.world 8 points 2 weeks ago (6 children)

Thing is, I'm sure they do. But they're middle management so they can't do shit about it. Executives that think this stupid shit up have their heads so far up their ass they don't understand how incredibly dumb their ideas for what AI does actually are.

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[–] Tattorack@lemmy.world 28 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

The Fallout style corporate dystopia isn't coming in the future. It's today. It's right now.

[–] Gathorall@lemmy.world 8 points 2 weeks ago

The Outer Worlds is more an active corporate dystopia of our flavor.

[–] Eggyhead@lemmings.world 26 points 2 weeks ago

Is this why I can’t buy a steam machine?

[–] Olhonestjim@lemmy.world 26 points 2 weeks ago

Jesus Christ. I don't trust any syrupy cheerful, fake happy, overly polite, "I'm sooo sooorry you had the slightest inconvenience" type customer service. No, I've done that job. You know you don't give a shit. I know you don't give a shit. You know I know you don't give a shit. We both know you can barely afford to live. The world is spiraling. Pretending otherwise is insufferable. Just be honest and give it to me jaded, bitter, and cynical like we both deserve.

[–] U7826391786239@lemmy.zip 23 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

why don't they focus on fixing their cold soggy fries and shit-tier "burgers" first

[–] officermike@lemmy.world 12 points 2 weeks ago

Can't speak to the burgers as I only ever order chicken fries from BK, but I will argue that their French fries have a more forgiving edible temperature range than McD or Wendy's. Still wouldn't eat 'em room temperature.

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[–] humanamerican@lemmy.zip 22 points 2 weeks ago (4 children)

As if that were the reason people don't go to Burger King

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[–] Gsus4@mander.xyz 21 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (6 children)
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[–] Boozilla@sh.itjust.works 20 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

Does "thanks, mother fucker, have shit ass day, and please go fuck yourself" bring up my numbers?

[–] BlameTheAntifa@lemmy.world 7 points 2 weeks ago

The AI says you have a 120% compliance rate.

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[–] supersquirrel@sopuli.xyz 18 points 2 weeks ago
[–] jj4211@lemmy.world 17 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

Pro tip to BK: I probably wouldn't even notice the lack of 'please' and 'thank you'. I would, however, be significantly happier if you stopped making them say "You Rule". Seems like they have to say it as both greeting and a "your order is finished". It's just unpleasantly cringey.

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[–] BigMacHole@sopuli.xyz 17 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

FORCING Minimum Wage workers to say Please and Thank You will ENSURE that their FOOD QUALITY will go UP while Prices go Affordable!

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[–] ch00f@lemmy.world 16 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (1 children)

I used to work for a consultancy that tried to bill themselves as experts in VR/AR. This is back in 2017 or so. We helped a client make a 3D tracking system with VR/AR applications, and this client let us kind of run with it.

Anyway, I was sort of head of this AR/VR thing, and we were always desperate for free advertising, so I somehow got pulled to provide my thoughts on the impact of VR/AR on the grocery store industry for an article in "The Grocer" or some other industry mag.

Leading up to the call, I was trying to think of what I'd say. My thoughts were on building out virtual grocery stores to test customer reactions before building them for real. Bring in some test subjects, see how they plan their route, how they react to different placements of goods. Track their eye movements to see if the new end-cap design is working. Time how long they spend in the store, etc. Are the aisles too narrow and claustrophobic. I got the idea from another client who was using VR to test out new detergent bottle concepts (apparently a one-off of a blow-molded bleach bottle is crazy expensive).

Well my consultancy had been purchased by a multinational conglomerate a year or so prior, so I got a phone call from some C-suite ass who wanted to brief me on what they wanted me to say to the magazine.

His idea was a service where you could have a store employee wear some kind of camera rig so the customer could sit at home in VR and pilot the employee around the store. This would essentially replace curbside pickup, but with the added benefit of "allowing the customer to pick which apple they want out of the bunch."

I resolved to ignore that advice, but the whole magazine thing ended up falling through anyway. I quit within the year.

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[–] EndlessNightmare@reddthat.com 14 points 2 weeks ago (3 children)
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[–] FreshLight@sh.itjust.works 14 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

That sounds like a big steaming violation of workers rights.

Is surveiling workers fine where this is planned to be executed?

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[–] dovahking@lemmy.world 14 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

"Please, go fuck yourself. Thank you."

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[–] tabular@lemmy.world 13 points 2 weeks ago

Please do not, that's disgusting, thank you.

[–] bjoern_tantau@swg-empire.de 13 points 2 weeks ago

!aboringdystopia@lemmy.world

[–] MasterNerd@lemmy.zip 12 points 2 weeks ago (4 children)

ignoring the distopian nightmare, this shit isn't free to run. Hiw the hell would they justify this expense?

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[–] Vieric@lemmy.world 12 points 2 weeks ago (11 children)

Not at all dystopian. Orwell would approve!

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[–] heiligerbimbam@lemmy.wtf 11 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

I regret choosing the red pill; this reality is getting worse and worse. Can I go back to the 90s Matrix?

[–] UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.world 8 points 2 weeks ago

Can I go back to the 90s Matrix?

I've g̵o̴t̴ ̷ s̴̗̺͕͝o̴̜͐̊̇m̷̨͍͍͠e̴̹̕ ̵̡̿ ę̷͕̣͂̆̅r̵̡̪̈͂́̄̔͠r̶͍̲̤̀̏͋͑í̵̹̼̮̩͈̰̊͌͂b̴̯̎̎̅̕ļ̶̘͓̍ē̶̥̺̥̓̉̈͆͘̚n̸͚̳͉̫̪̣͔̬̈́̀̄̉̂̊͆̾̍̀͝ę̴͚͔̺̮̤̺̰͈̖̉̀̃̄̏̾͛ŵ̶̪͓͓͇̥̮̠̩̼̙̻̰͠s̸̼͖̬̦̟̝͊́̓́ ̷̡̨̢̫̖͔͚̻͙̩̈́̆͛̾̿̓̏͑̀̊̈ ̵̺̹͙̼̮̹͍̗̱͇̪͈͑͛̅͜͜f̶̣͊͂̾̾̈͝ǫ̶̛͇̥̖͓̦̳͇̩͙̩͑̇̾̇͊̋͌̇̍̃̏̈́͛̕ͅr̶͚͇̄ͅ ̴̌̋̓̄͊͂͋̈̀̇͐̀͘̕ ̷̡̨̖̺̫͈̪̫̲̩̘͉͚̗̳̖̜̗̣̭̩̩͕̙̯̦͔̟̠̝̣͎̝͍͇̝̅ͅỳ̷̨̛̛̤̹̖̞̙̺̮͇̳̙̤̟̘̦̙̃̄́̄̂̃̊̂̈́̿͛̇̍̀̌̍̎̊͑͗̆̔͘̚̕̕͝ͅơ̴̢̛͇͓̗͍͙̮̲̣̳͖͉͕̳̹̤̩̜̥͔̲̘̩̳̱̩͙̹̝̾͋͐̿͋̀͗̏̀͂͊͗̋̽͐̀̕͜͜͝ǔ̵̡͚͎̗͈̞̱͖̖͎̬̱̜̲͖͈̳̼̥͎́̊̊͐̀͑̈̀̍̂͋͐͆͒̚̕͘͘ͅ.̵̨̨̢̢̨͍̦̻̼̖̩̮̱̣̭̲̼͈̱̭̭͇̺͈̠̲̬̭͍͎̝̮͕̳͕͙̳̺͔̗̪̖̳̙̯͖̥̈́̿͌̌͊̽̈́̈́͛͋̏́̉̊͂̑̄͂̄̈̌͐͆̍̐͒̿̂͘͜͝͝ͅͅͅ

[–] mrmaplebar@fedia.io 10 points 2 weeks ago

Just like basically all of this AI shit... Who is this for?

They should be focused on making their food better and cheaper, not making their employees miserable.

I'll get my burger at whatever restaurant treats its workers and customers like human beings.

[–] criss_cross@lemmy.world 10 points 2 weeks ago

“Im sorry Sylvia we’re going to have to let you go. You didn’t say ‘thank you’ enough.

It says here you were obsessed with someone named ‘Hank Ewe’. Absolutely deplorable. “

[–] Doomsider@lemmy.world 9 points 2 weeks ago

Cool, so AI will be replacing the managers first.

[–] cyberpunk007@lemmy.ca 9 points 2 weeks ago (3 children)

Fuck I gotta stop doing to BK now too?

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[–] rc__buggy@sh.itjust.works 9 points 2 weeks ago
[–] doesit@sh.itjust.works 9 points 2 weeks ago

So AI is your boss. And he's there solely to snitch on you.

[–] knightly@pawb.social 9 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Oh hey, that's almost exactly the kind of cyberpunk dystopia that I grew up reading fiction about:

https://marshallbrain.com/manna1

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[–] IWW4@lemmy.zip 9 points 2 weeks ago

They cant keep staff as it is, so this?

[–] Carmakazi@piefed.social 8 points 2 weeks ago

IIRC Burger King was one of, if not the first companies to use computerized inventory/bookkeeping. And they used it to try and crack down on employees giving away extra food. It was a giant waste of money.

[–] Zozano@aussie.zone 8 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (1 children)

Am I the odd one out to be relieved when the people working feel comfortable to just 'be'?

Give me the quiet guy who will say "hi" and "cya", over: "heLLLOOooo, welcome to Chucks Fuck 'n' Suck, we tug 'em and sugg 'em, what can we do you 'fer?“

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[–] bcgm3@lemmy.world 8 points 2 weeks ago

Computer, how many R's in "thank you?"

This'll turn out great, for sure.

[–] RagingRobot@lemmy.world 8 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

Forcing them to say please and thank you will not fix the issues with Burger King lol.

That is the shittiest fast food place. I loved it as a kid but it's gone way down hill. The food is awful quality and the employees don't care about anything because they aren't paid a living wage. I stopped going a while ago when they gave me a drink full of moldy ice. I took my kid because he wanted to try the king of burgers. He was so disappointed lol

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