Burger King is deploying an AI chatbot called 'Patty' that will monitor employees' voices for 'friendliness' through headsets. The OpenAI-powered assistant listens for phrases like 'welcome to Burger King,' 'please,' and 'thank you,' allowing managers to track their location's performance.

Thibault Roux, Burger King's chief digital officer, told The Verge the system is 'meant to be a coaching tool' but admitted they're 'iterating' to detect tone in conversations. The chatbot is currently being piloted in 500 restaurants and will roll out to all US locations by the end of 2026.

The AI also handles practical tasks like answering meal prep questions and monitoring inventory through the point-of-sale system. While these features sound useful, the surveillance aspect has raised concerns about workplace monitoring of low-paid workers.