The system integrates data from kitchen, inventory, and drive-thru streams to alert managers about issues such as out-of-stock items and to provide order-assembly coaching insights.

There is backlash over monitoring aspects, including concerns about real-time friendliness assessments and potential misinterpretations by voice AI.

Burger King is rolling out Patty, an AI coaching assistant that employees wear in headsets to offer meal-prep tips, coaching, and real-time hospitality analysis, while also monitoring store performance.

Patty will listen to drive-thru audio to detect hospitality cues like welcome and please, helping managers understand service patterns and identify teams delivering strong hospitality.

Public reaction on social media features dystopian critiques and skepticism about the AI’s accuracy and reliability.

Questions remain about scalability, worker acceptance, and the balance between coaching and pervasive monitoring as adoption expands.

Critics argue the tool could reduce incomes, complicate workers’ lives, and misallocate resources, reflecting concerns about AI in the workplace.

Promotional materials show managers receiving ‘friendliness scores’ and data on stock status and recipe reminders, sparking privacy and monitoring concerns.

Patty is designed to alert managers about equipment issues and stock levels, with updates feeding into customer interfaces within about 15 minutes.

Burger King plans nationwide rollout by year’s end, after extensive testing in select locations.

Current testing is limited to fewer than 100 locations in drive-thru concepts, with BK describing the rollout as a risky bet and not yet committing to broad launch.

This initiative follows BK’s history of bold branding and tech experimentation, raising ongoing concerns about workplace surveillance and employee privacy.