‘This is getting out hand’: Internet is divided after Wendy’s customer shares video of her giving order to AI employee at drive-thru
AI has taken over the drive-thru at Wendy’s in Florida and one TikTok user wasn’t happy with the change.
Brittany, known as @brittayann_22 on TikTok, posted a video on April 19 after she placed a drive-thru order with an AI employee.
The TikTok user, who revealed in her video description that she’s “not here for this,” went to the back of the line at Wendy’s drive-thru to record her video.
It has led to more than 22,000 TikTokers debating the ethics of AI, with one user saying it is “getting out of hand.”
Despite the non-human entity taking her order, she successfully received a medium chocolate frosting within a minute.
Brittany’s clip has been viewed more than 16 million times and is currently her most viewed TikTok video.
Brittany, who goes by @brittayann_22 on TikTok, posted a video on April 19 of herself giving her Chocolate Frosty order to an AI worker
Brittany revealed in her video description that she wasn’t a fan of the AI worker at the Wendy’s she went to in Florida
The AI worker video has been discussed in three TikTok videos since Brittany posted her first viral video, which currently has over 16 million views
Wendy’s began replacing drive-thru workers with AI chatbots in 2023.
The fast food chain and Google Cloud have teamed up to develop Wendy’s FreshAl.
A press release from Wendy’s stated that the AI ordering system is “intended to feel as natural as interacting with a crew member.”
“It’s at least as good as our best customer service representative, and probably better on average,” Wendy’s CIO Kevin Vasconi told The Wall Street Journal during their previous test drives.
Although Brittany has made it clear that she is not a fan of the AI drive-thru employee, it turned out to be easy for her to place an order.
Wendy’s started experimenting with AI chatbots in their drive-thrus last year and they are working to further develop the system with Google Cloud
A press release from Wendy’s stated that the AI ordering system is “intended to feel as natural as interacting with a crew member.”
The AI worker welcomed Brittany to Wendy’s and asked her what she wanted to order as she drove up to the menu.
The AI worker’s words also appeared on the screen in English and Spanish.
Although it appeared to be fully functional, the AI technology made a few errors while Brittany was ordering her Chocolate Frosty.
Brittany asked the AI worker, “Can I have a Chocolate Frosty?” The machine translated it to “And I Have a Chocolate Frosty” as she placed her order.
After choosing the size, Brittany said she didn’t want anything else.
The machine paused for a few seconds and told Brittany to move on to the next window while displaying her order total.
Brittany was able to order a Chocolate Frosty in less than a minute and later responded to other TikTokers’ comments on her video
Brittany read through the comments from her first video and decided to give the AI worker a more complex assignment another TikTok she posted on the social media platform last week.
She ordered a Dave’s Double with a slice of cheese, two slices of tomato and the bottom part of the bun with ketchup on the side.
The AI worker wrote down everything Brittany asked for at the bottom of the screen and asked her if she wanted to make it into a combo.
She ordered a small Chocolate Frosty after the AI worker told her they had no vanilla.
She then upgraded her cheese fries and her meal total was $11.81.
“I really don’t understand how people order through drive-thru… This wasn’t even complicated or difficult,” she said after placing her order.
She added that the drive-thru window worker asked her why she only wanted the bottom part of the sandwich.
TikTok users debated the topic of AI workers in restaurants on Brittany’s viral video, and they also blasted the technology in her reaction clip she posted last week.
One user noted that her Chocolate Frosty order was “not a good demonstration.” She went back to the AI worker and ordered a more complex order last week
TikTok users have been commenting on her first video and two reaction clips for over a week. A TikToker commenting on a video claimed they worked at the restaurant she went to
More than one commenter wrote positive things about the AI worker, with one person even calling it “polite and friendly.”
One user revealed that they think it’s ‘better than shouting your order six times’ because a staff member wouldn’t hear it.
TikTokers have been harsh on the other videos, with one person slamming Wendy’s, writing that Wendy’s would rather “have no employees” than pay minimum wage.
“AI taking over these jobs is fine because AI has better customer service skills than the people who actually work there,” one person wrote.
‘It encourages children to go for something more complex like work.’