Originally published at: https://boingboing.net/2024/03/07/reviewer-says-carls-jr-s-new-ai-drive-thru-system-made-him-feel-sad.html
…
1 Like
Years ago, the McDonalds in my area had the order taking outsourced - when you pulled up, it would internally dial someone, somewhere in the world, who would take the order from wherever it was they worked. These tended to be heavily outsourced to India at the time. It was generally pretty hated. The person couldn’t answer questions about the store, sometimes would take orders for things the store didn’t have, and sometimes you’d wait while the phone literally rang over the speaker.
This sounds at least better than that.
11 Likes
If they want to “improve the customer experience” they should start with the food.
7 Likes
It’s like how the preponderance of AI illustration on BoingBoing continues to make me sad.
…it does not improve the customer experience…
Couldn’t have put it better myself.
29 Likes
No shit. They’re not idiots. They know exactly what that AI ordering system means for their job security, but they’re not about to share that with a complete stranger while in earshot of their boss.
18 Likes
Oh no, AI is coming for our fast food jobs?
Where have we gone wrong as a society, that our lust for technological progress has forever closed off such a fulfilling and lucrative career path for future generations?!
/s
2 Likes
Yeah, I wonder what that extra tire is doing beside the car.
4 Likes
A job’s a job. Not everyone can be a neurosurgeon, an attorney, or a rocket scientist. If we’re going to eliminate low skilled jobs like these, that’s fine, but we’d better have a plan for what the people who used to hold these jobs are now going to do.
35 Likes
shocked this wasn’t already posted:
4 Likes
Who knew that fast food could be further enshittified.
3 Likes
Can it understand a Scottish accent?
Will the customers understand it on “Talk Like a Pirate” day?
So many questions. Well, OK… 2 questions.
12 Likes
Exactly. The casual assumption that since globalization would make things a nickel cheaper and that “retraining” would be available led to pockets of despair that led to fascism.
4 Likes
Right?
I mean, if it can do exactly what it’s supposed to do and not waste my time doing it, then I think that’s great. My life will not be terribly diminished by not being able to chat with a real person at Taco Bell. In fact, I bet it does a better job - I can probably understand it much better than someone on a headset who speaks too fast because they’ve said the same phrase 1,000 times, or because they just can’t be bothered to enunciate.
That is, as long as everyone stays on script. What I dread is having to tell an AI that I changed my mind, I no longer want soda, I want OJ, and having it be completely unable to manage that.
2 Likes
Is it? We don’t have Carl’s Jr. out here. Are the employees who normally fill these positions full time employees with living wages, health benefits, retirement savings plans, and so on?
FWIW, though: I don’t mind paying more taxes if they’re being spent on education, whether we’re talking about sending kids to college or providing vocational training for adults who want(or need) to change careers.
1 Like
Same.
2 Likes
Worker morale is definitely not improved when every step in that direction is covered by financial publications like the greatest thing since sliced bread. TPTB make it clear they care more about cost cutting than quality or consumer opinions. So they’ll build more outlets like the one described here, plus burger bots:
I keep telling people the GOP has no plan for people without money. It’s just like the “better than Obamacare” health plan or “new and improved” government institutions/services they promise but never deliver. They have no problem with seeing most of us first impoverished, and then dead. Given how they talk about makers vs. takers and government spending on social programs as a zero sum game, they probably figure that whoever is left will be much better off that way. 
18 Likes
Right? We’re all about eliminating low paying jobs but where are we supposed to go? How do you have customers if no one has money?
Eventually it will just be robots talking to robots in a barren wasteland.
12 Likes
Exactly. A desperate, permanent underclass they can control and rule over is the point. They are enemies of a free and open society, full stop. Everything they say to the contrary is a lie to manipulate and confuse people into giving them the access they need to advance that agenda.
13 Likes
That’s just the most obvious of many things wrong with this image. But even when details are accurate, AI art is soulless and lazy and sucks.
Many depend on their fast-food job to live, or to support their family.
Your privilege is showing. May want to tend to that.
8 Likes
