Burger King: Artificial intelligence to check staff politeness, use of please, thank you; see how the AI chatbot works
Burger King introduces artificial intelligence chatbot called “Patty” to assist restaurant employees. It is part of a larger system called BK Assistant. The AI assistant is currently being tested in approximately 500 restaurants.
Patty will assist workers with tasks such as preparing meals and answering job-related questions. The chatbot will work through the headsets that staff currently use.
The AI assistant will also analyze how employees interact with customers. “Welcome to Burger King” will look for polite words and phrases like “please” and “thank you.” Managers can ask the system how their outlets are performing in terms of friendliness.
According to the company, the purpose of this tool is not to punish employees. It means directing and improving service quality.
Burger King’s artificial intelligence assistant “Patty” is powered by OpenAI. This platform connects different parts of the restaurant’s operations. It includes drive-thru conversations, kitchen machines, inventory and billing systems.
Employees can ask Patty practical questions while they work. For example, they might ask how many bacon strips to add to the Maple Bourbon BBQ Whopper.
They can also ask the chatbot how to properly clean the shaker. This helps staff get quick responses without stopping work.
AI is also connected to Burger King’s cloud-based billing system. If a machine breaks down or an item is out of stock, managers are immediately alerted.
The system automatically updates everything in a short time. This way, customers do not see products that are not available.
“Within 15 minutes, the entire ecosystem will take it out of stock; whether you’re going to a restaurant to order from the kiosk or going to the drive-thru, the digital menu board will be updated,” Digital Chief Thibault Roux told The Verge.
While Burger King is adding an AI chatbot to employees’ headsets, it’s not quite ready to offer AI-powered drive-thrus at all locations. Other fast food chains such as McDonald’s, Wendy’s and Taco Bell have already tested similar systems.
Burger King’s artificial intelligence assistant: It’s still an experiment
According to Roux, the company is still experimenting with AI in drive-thrus, which he sees as a risky move. He admitted that not every customer will be comfortable interacting with AI when ordering. Currently, Burger King is testing its AI drive-thru technology at fewer than 100 restaurants.
“We’re interested in it, we’re playing with it, but it’s still a risky bet. Not every guest is ready for it,” Roux said.
However, the company plans to launch the full BK Assistant web and app platform in all US outlets by the end of 2026.
