Burger King rolls out AI headsets that track employee 'friendliness'

Burger King is testing AI-powered headsets called BK Assistant at 500 US restaurants that monitor employee interactions and calculate 'friendliness scores' based on words like 'please' and 'thank you' during drive-thru conversations. The system, powered by OpenAI, also helps staff by answering questions about menu preparation and restocking through an embedded chatbot named 'Patty'. The rollout has drawn criticism online for its surveillance capabilities, with concerns raised about accuracy given AI systems' known tendency to make errors.