Burger King's AI Chatbot, Patty, to Dish Out Tips on Meal Prep and Track 'Friendliness' via Employee Headsets

Burger King will soon use an AI chatbot in employees’ headsets to recommend tips on meal preparation and track “friendliness.”

The Verge reported on the bot, a tool named Patty that’s powered by OpenAI, following a conversation with chief digital officer Thibault Roux. The fast-food giant says the BK Assistant web and app platform, which collects data related to drive-thru conversations, will be seared into all of its restaurants before the year concludes, with Patty planned to give it a voice in workers’ ears with tests across 500 locations.

Roux says the chatbot angle of Burger King’s AI push is “meant to be a coaching tool,” and can offer tips for everything from cooking a Whopper to cleaning equipment. It will also allow managers to ask how their individual restaurant is performing based on friendliness, with the system able to recognize phrases like “welcome to Burger King” – or even “please” and “thank you.” Roux says Burger King is also testing the waters for a future that could see it measuring an employee’s tone, too.

AI has wormed its way into systems across the globe, but Burger King admits it’s already hesitant about how such technology could be implemented in the fast-food business. Less than 100 of the Whopper house’s locations are testing AI in their drive-thru operations currently, as the company calls its implementation “a risky bet.”

Reactions from customers online suggest Roux assessment is correct, with dozens of posts criticizing the move already popping up across social media. Users have already started comparing the move to Netflix’s sci-fi dystopia anthology series, Black Mirror. Specifically Season 3 Episode 1, Nosedive, which takes place in a society where people rate each other based on their interactions, which appears to be brought up the most.

“So Burger King can’t make the ice cream machine work, but suddenly they’ve built Skynet for manners?” one X/Twitter user said, comparing the AI system to the entity that helps kick off the events of the Terminator movies.

“Peak dystopia, next they’ll fine you for breathing too loud into the headset,” another added.

Still, Burger King says it will continue “playing around with it” as it plans for Patty to make its debut. Unless the company decides to reverse course, workers may want to expect to hear Patty guiding them through interactions in the near future.

Michael Cripe is a freelance writer with IGN. He’s best known for his work at sites like The Pitch, The Escapist, and OnlySP. Be sure to give him a follow on Bluesky (@mikecripe.bsky.social) and Twitter (@MikeCripe).