Burger King is testing AI headsets that will know if employees say ‘welcome’ or ‘thank you’

Burger King is testing AI-powered headsets that can recite recipes, alert managers when inventories are low, and even track how friendly employees are to customers. Restaurant Brands International—the Miami-based company that owns Burger King, Popeyes, and other brands—said it's currently testing the OpenAI-powered headsets in 500 U.S. restaurants. The system collects data on restaurant operations and shares it via “Patty,” a voice that talks to employees through their headsets. If the drink machine is low on Diet Coke, Patty will tell the store's manager. If a customer uses a QR code to report a messy bathroom, the manager will be alerted. Employees can ask Patty how to make various menu items or tell Patty to remove items from digital menus if they've run out of ingredients. Burger King said it's also exploring using Patty as a way to improve customer service. The system can track when employees say keywords like “welcome,” “please,” and “thank you” and share that with managers. When asked about that capability by The Associated Press, Burger King said the intent is to use Patty as a coaching tool, not a tracker of individual employees. “It's not about scoring individuals or enforcing scripts. It's about reinforcing great hospitality and giving managers helpful, real-time insights so they can recognize their teams more effectively,” Burger King said in a statement. Burger King added that the keywords are “one of many signals to help managers understand service patterns.” “We believe hospitality is fundamentally human. The role of this technology is to support our teams so they can stay present with guests,” Burger King said. Patty is part of a larger app-based BK Assistant platform that will be available to all U.S. restaurants later this year. Burger King is one of several fast-food chains experimenting with artificial intelligence. Yum Brands said last spring it was partnering with Nvidia to develop AI technologies for its brands, which include KFC, Taco Bell, and Pizza Hut. McDonald's ended a partnership with IBM in 2024 that was testing automated orders at its drive-thrus. The company is now working with Google on AI systems. This article was provided by The Associated Press.