AI assistant tells Burger King employees how to do their job

Employees at some Burger King restaurants in the United States are being monitored with an AI headset. Is this fair on the people working there?

Words:

• Interactions tell you what you can and can’t do.
• To cause a stir is to upset or get the attention of many people, often by doing something shocking.
• Surveillance is used to describe the way people watch and track other people, often using technology.
• A dystopia is a frightening society. It is often used the describe the most negative situation our world could be in.
• Keywords are important words that capture the topic or tone of a text, speech or conversation.
• When something is anonymised, it is not tied to a specific person. You can’t trace back who it is about.
• Hospitality is a friendly, welcoming way of treating someone.
• A prospect is the possibility or chance of something (positive) happening.
• A corporate mandate is an official rule given by a company to its employees.
• If you are inclined to do something, you are more likely to do it because of a certain reason, circumstance, or personal preference.
  

Video:

Warming up

1. This video discusses experiences of people working in fast food restaurants. What do you think it is like to work in one of these restaurants? Write down one thing you would enjoy, and one thing you would not enjoy.

2. Some people are afraid that AI will replace their job, or change the way they do their job. Name a job that you think will change because of AI, and explain why.

Questions about the video

Watch the video from 0:00-1:15.

3. According to Burger King’s chief digital officer, why is their AI tool listening to what its employees are saying?

A: To check that they are finishing all their tasks.

B: To give them step-by-step instructions for important jobs.

C: To monitor keywords like ‘please’ to see how friendly they are.

D: To decide how much they should get paid.

4. True or false? Explain your answer.

The tool is being used to monitor specific Burger King employees.

Now watch the video from 1:15 to the end of the video.

5. Other restaurants are also using AI, but this can lead to problems. Name one problem mentioned in the video.

6. Explain what the presenter means when they talk about the ‘friendly wars’ in retail.

7. According to a customer interviewed on the street, being treated nicely makes them more ‘inclined’ to come back to a restaurant. Use the word ‘inclined’ in a sentence. For example: I am more inclined to do my homework when I schedule it in my diary.

Task

Option 1: What do you think is important for your experience at a fast food restaurant? Do you want to be served by friendly people, or do you want your food as quickly and easily as possible? Explain what you think is and isn’t important in a short paragraph.

Option 2: Imagine you are a Burger King employee who has to work with an AI headset. What arguments can you think of to refuse this? Write a short message to your manager explaining why you don’t want to wear this headset.

Van de makers van All Right!, Of Course! en Taalblokken Engels