Wendy's Drive-Thru orders to be taken by a ChatBot

[Otto_Harper]

It appears that Wendy's will no longer need the services of humans when taking orders from the drive-thru window.

Just imagine. If all companies were able to dispense with all human employees, then they could shut themselves down for lack of customers.

https://www.pcmag.com/news/wendys-drive-through-orders-to-be-taken-by-a-chatbot?utm_source=join1440&utm_medium=email&utm_placement=newsletter

[samsingh]

1. i'm not going to Wendy's

[niyad]

2. It is difficult enough trying to talk to an actual person with one of those crappy

sound systems. No thanks.

[louis-t]

3. They only pay "up to $11 an hour".

Yet they charge $9 for a hamburger. I will probably never go there again.

[delisen]

4. Time for Guaranteed Minimum Income

Considering how much time and energy needed from the typical citizen to make democracy work and the need of businesses for customers, it is time to start paying us for filling these roles.

[RegulatedCapitalistD]

5. Not to mention this is why also using Self-Checkouts are not contributing to the Social Safety Net

By not paying employees....they do not have to pay half of what an actual employee would be contributing to that.

AVOID AT ALL COST because that is what is driving a lot of this Automation....the destruction of the Social Safety net.

[highplainsdem]

9. And there are self-checkout kiosks that ask for 20% tips, which supposedly are to

be divided among the human employees, but with no guarantee of that.

[RegulatedCapitalistD]

13. That is valid but not as big of a deal as the fact ....they are killing off the Social Safety Net

we ALL rely on....The employer pays into the system the same amount the employee does. So if the employee pays $100 into it....the Employer would pay that amount too. Every time they replace another employee that continues exponentially

[highplainsdem]

17. The tech bros who care about such things admit we'll need a UBI as

AI replaces jobs, but none have any serious suggestions for how we'll get there. Sam Altman of OpenAI did an interview several years ago in which he envisioned a future where less than $10,000/yr would be needed for a family of 4, because we'll have fusion so free power, and nearly free food because of free power, and free education via smartphones. He admitted that didn't include housing.

And he's one of the more liberal tech bros.

Who has a luxury survivalist hideout stocked with weapons and supplies.

[RegulatedCapitalistD]

19. Liberal???? He is confusing that term with Libertarian

Libertarians are just Self-Loathing Republicans who want to smoke Pot..that is all.

[onethatcares]

6. today while driving

I happened upon a road crew doing what road crews do and there was a timed mechanical flagman raising and lowering the barrier.

another job lost to AI

[BlackSkimmer]

8. Hey, I think that is actually a good idea.

That's a dangerous job.

Where did you see this? ON a highway? What state?

[highplainsdem]

10. If they used AI only for the dangerous jobs, that

would be a good idea.

[BlackSkimmer]

12. Well, I think they do, as much as they can.

They've radically modernized coal-mining.

Years ago, in college, I visited a coal mine...we went into the mine, and even then (late 70s) they had machines cutting the coal out of the walls.

But someone has to operate that machine, so I'm not so sure they've made that particular job any safer. I'm happy for any of these horribly dangerous jobs that can be replaced with automation.

[onethatcares]

20. St Petersburg Florida

on 13th Ave N and 38th St.

[BlackSkimmer]

23. Eek, probably a good place for an automated flag person.

I once saw a guy get hit on a road near I-95, while holding a flag.

The car never even stopped. The flagger did live; we looked it up the next day. He was only banged up, but I bet he never flagged again.

It was awful to watch happen, as though in slow motion.

[RegulatedCapitalistD]

16. And even more money NOT being contributed to the Social Safety Net

Not into our Social Security and Medicare.....and they will want MORE cuts to it in the future to compensate for THEIR THEFT

[obamanut2012]

21. Good -- dangerous, unskilled jobs should be done like this

Skilled jobs and dangerous skilled job are a different story.

[BlackSkimmer]

7. LOl, no idea when I last ate at a Wendy's.

If ever.

[XanaDUer2]

11. Used to have great food

The one by us now the food is disgusting and expensive.

[Freethinker65]

14. For simple easy to understand orders, OK

For involved orders with lots of questions I would hope the bot would transfer those customers to a human. Fast food places are already using remote human order takers.

[rictofen]

15. I know DU hates Chic-Fil-A, but they usually have 2 or 3 people just out in the drive throughs

Taking orders and payments so that the window staff don't have to. Sometimes there's even someone directing traffic lol.

[Lars39]

22. They've also been known to ask for customer volunteers.

[rictofen]

26. Looks like that only happened at one CFA

It was quickly shut down, and wasn't supported by the company.

https://www.today.com/food/restaurants/chick-fil-store-recruit-volunteers-only-paid-food-rcna40520

I imagine that franchisee got an earful from corporate.

[Torchlight]

27. My guess is got a pat on the back

and was suggested to him he keep it more low-key next time.

[Demsrule86]

18. Thanks for the info. I will avoid Wendy's.

[tanyev]

24. "Would you like some Russian disinformation with that order?"

[newdayneeded]

25. I was there a couple of months ago,

a black guy handed me my food and said "see you tomorrow" I thought that was hilarious!

[Bonx]

28. Very cool. Can't wait to run across one of these.

[milestogo]

29. ChatBots don't do well with grease burns.