// Burger King; IC Photo / Depositphotos
“Patty” will analyze words and expressions used by employees and “train” them, but also assess equipment status and stock availability much more quickly.
Burger King is preparing artificial intelligence (AI), not to replace drive-thru employees, but to monitor, “train” them, and ensure they say “please” and “thank you.”
After several fast food chains struggled to implement chatbots capable of reliably fulfilling orders, with frequent errors irritating customers, some companies began to pull back.
A rival do Burger King, McDonald’s, for example, it abandoned drive-thru initiatives with AI and Taco Bell also signaled that it is rethinking the bet.
Mass Burger King takes a different path. Instead of having the technology speak directly to consumers, the company is launching an assistant based on OpenAI, called “Patty”which will communicate with workers through the headsets used in the service.
The new feature integrates a broader platform, the “BK Assistant”, designed to function as operational support in the restaurant.
According to the company, the system will analyze words and expressions used by the team — such as “welcome to Burger King”, as well as “please” and “thank you” — and thus allow managers to monitor indicators associated with cordiality and the tone adopted during service.
Burger King’s digital manager, Thibault Rouxsaid that innovation is a “coaching” instrument, and the company admits that it is “iterating” the solution.
In addition to following the language, the “BK Assistant” will have access to operational data, such as equipment status and stock availability. Information can be updated much more quickly: a product can be marked as unavailable and the change reflected on digital menu boards in about 15 minutes.
Despite the bet, Burger King recognizes that a fully AI-automated drive-thru is not yet a priority.
