Burger King has launched a new AI-powered platform in hundreds of US restaurants.
The system connects to employee headsets and supports daily operations.
The company calls the platform BK Assistant.
It runs on technology from OpenAI, the creator of ChatGPT.
Burger King named its voice-enabled chatbot “Patty”.
Patty listens to drive-thru and counter interactions.
It detects service words such as “welcome”, “please”, and “thank you”.
The company says managers can use this data to understand service patterns.
The announcement triggered criticism on social media.
Some users described the move as excessive corporate monitoring.
A company spokesperson rejected claims of employee surveillance.
They stated that the tool does not score workers or enforce scripts.
They described it as a coaching and operational support system.
Managers receive real-time insights to recognize strong performance.
The platform also updates digital menus automatically when items sell out.
It guides employees during food preparation after customers place orders.
The system can even alert staff when restrooms need cleaning.
Burger King is currently testing the headset system in 500 restaurants.
The company plans to expand BK Assistant to all US locations by 2026.
The rollout follows a similar experiment by McDonald’s.
McDonald’s ended its AI drive-thru program after testing it in more than 100 restaurants.
