The AI dooooooom thread

[Syt]

https://apnews.com/article/burger-king-ai-artificial-intelligence-headsets-friendliness-b7d5a4120dc669fe338a4da3eedb0016

Burger King is testing AI headsets that will know if employees say 'welcome' or 'thank you

Burger King is testing AI-powered headsets that can recite recipes, alert managers when inventories are low and even track how friendly employees are to customers.

Restaurant Brands International – the Miami-based company that owns Burger King, Popeyes and other brands – said Thursday it's currently testing the OpenAI-powered headsets in 500 U.S. restaurants.

The system collects data on restaurant operations and shares it via "Patty," a voice that talks to employees through their headsets. If the drink machine is low on Diet Coke, Patty will tell the store's manager. If a customer uses a QR code to report a messy bathroom, the manager will be alerted.

Employees can ask Patty how to make various menu items or tell Patty to remove items from digital menus if they've run out of ingredients.

Burger King said it's also exploring using Patty as a way to improve customer service. The system can track when employees say key words like "welcome," "please" and "thank you" and share that with managers.

When asked about that capability Thursday by The Associated Press, Burger King said the intent is to use Patty as a coaching tool, not a tracker of individual employees.

"It's not about scoring individuals or enforcing scripts. It's about reinforcing great hospitality and giving managers helpful, real-time insights so they can recognize their teams more effectively," Burger King said in a statement.

Burger King added that the key words are "one of many signals to help managers understand service patterns."

"We believe hospitality is fundamentally human. The role of this technology is to support our teams so they can stay present with guests," Burger King said.

Patty is part of a larger app-based BK Assistant platform that will be available to all U.S. restaurants later this year.

Burger King is one of several fast food chains experimenting with artificial intelligence. Yum Brands said last spring it was partnering with Nvidia to develop AI technologies for its brands, which include KFC, Taco Bell and Pizza Hut.

McDonald's ended a partnership with IBM in 2024 that was testing automated orders at its drive-thrus. The company is now working with Google on AI systems.

[HVC]

Probably sounds worse to European ears, but phony service hospitality is a big thing in the US (and to a lesser extent Canada). Probably why we think euro* waiters are rude.

*except in Paris, where the are rude rest of France is nicer.

[Valmy]

Yes. Fake friendliness is our big national past time. I didn't realize how much I appreciate the bullshit until I went to Europe for awhile and realized how much I appreciated the fakeness. Authenticity was exhausting 

But it was probably just culture shock.

[DGuller]

I can see both sides to it.  Fake niceness from one person can stir legitimate niceness from the other person, and then maybe the original faker would be a little more genuine in their niceness going forward.  On the other hand, it's an impediment to effective communication, because you have to be a fucking Kremlinologist in every single encounter if you're interested in gauging the genuine sentiment.

[Sheilbh]

I've not been to the US in many years - might be out this year.

I don't find France or even Paris that rude - but I do think France is quite a courteous country which is a very different thing from friendly.

Altough with a few exceptions I don't really find anywhere in Europe that rude - so maybe I'm the one being rude without realising

[Valmy]

I've not been to the US in many years - might be out this year.

I don't find France or even Paris that rude - but I do think France is quite a courteous country which is a very different thing from friendly.

Altough with a few exceptions I don't really find anywhere in Europe that rude - so maybe I'm the one being rude without realising

They aren't rude. They just aren't fake friendly. As a Texan I found that jarring

[Valmy]

I can see both sides to it.  Fake niceness from one person can stir legitimate niceness from the other person, and then maybe the original faker would be a little more genuine in their niceness going forward.  On the other hand, it's an impediment to effective communication, because you have to be a fucking Kremlinologist in every single encounter if you're interested in gauging the genuine sentiment.

I can tell. I was born here. But for foreigners it must be terribly confusing.

[Zoupa]

I'm back to working retail and the difference just between Quebec and the west coast is massive. I find all the fake niceties mentally exhausting. I hear "How's your day going?" 50 times a shift. Lady just tell me the reason for your visit so we can all get on with it.

Maybe I'm just old and grumpy.

[Sheilbh]

They aren't rude. They just aren't fake friendly. As a Texan I found that jarring

Yeah and it must just be having to adjust that's exhausting because I've not been to the US in decades - but I think I would find "fake friendly" interactions quite draining

[Sheilbh]

Anthropic folded, predictably.
Exclusive: Anthropic Drops Flagship Safety Pledge

Maybe not:
https://www.anthropic.com/news/statement-department-of-war

By the by if Europe is interested in tech sovereignty I'd consider making a pitch here (a bit like someone should just be touring American universities with an open wallet).