Starbucks staff reveal truth about their new 'algorithmic boss'

Fast-food giants, including Starbucks and Burger King, are using AI 'coworkers' to monitor staff, sparking surveillance fears.

At some Burger King locations, an AI named Patty quietly listens to drive-thru conversations. The system checks inventory and can compare the 'friendliness' scores of different restaurants.

Starbucks baristas have a "Green Dot" assistant for recipes, but some staff have revealed the technology is imperfect.

One barista said, "Green Dot has been hit or miss," noting the system is slow and often freezes. Another claimed the AI "really discourages" staff from asking questions.

Companies insist the technology is designed to assist employees, not replace them. Burger King's chief digital officer, Thibault Roux, suggested Patty helps managers.

"We almost joke about it like it shouldn't even be called BK Assistant," Roux said, "We should call it assistant manager."

Despite worker feedback, the industry appears all in. A Deloitte survey found eight in ten restaurant executives plan to increase their AI investment.

The goal is for AI to eventually handle everything from ingredient orders to staff schedules based on forecasts.

However, some are sceptical that employees will embrace being coached by software. "I'm not so sure I'm sold on the idea that employees are going to embrace being nudged by a system saying, 'Hey, you're not working fast enough,'" said Ray Camillo. For now, the AI revolution looks less like robots and more like invisible assistants quietly collecting data.