Technology
Burger King AI listens to workers
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The next time you pull up to the drive-thru at Burger King, you may notice something different. The greeting might sound warmer. The thank you might feel extra intentional. That could be Patty. The company is expanding a new AI-powered assistant that listens to employee headset interactions and tracks how staff speak with customers. The goal, according to executives, is simple. Create friendlier restaurants and smoother operations. But the rollout raises a bigger question. When does coaching become monitoring?
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BURGER KING MAKES CHANGES TO SIGNATURE WHOPPER FOR FIRST TIME IN NEARLY A DECADE
Burger King is rolling out an AI assistant named Patty to monitor employee drive-thru greetings and track customer interactions. (Eva Marie Uzcategui/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
What is Burger King’s Patty AI assistant and how does it work?
Burger King’s Patty AI assistant runs on technology from OpenAI. In practice, it listens for key phrases such as “Welcome to Burger King,” “Please” and “Thank you.” It then compiles that information into reports so managers can measure how consistently staff use polite language. Although company leaders say it is not recording every conversation, they frame it as a coaching tool designed to reinforce service standards.
Beyond tracking manners, Patty also supports daily operations. For example, it can answer questions about how many bacon strips go on a sandwich or how to clean specific equipment. In addition, it flags inventory shortages and alerts managers when machines stop working. It even tracks how often employees tell customers an item is unavailable, which can highlight supply gaps.
As a result, that data has already influenced menu decisions, including the return of apple pie after its removal in 2020. Taken together, Patty functions as a manners coach, kitchen assistant and data analyst rolled into one.
From pilot program to nationwide push
Burger King began testing Patty at about 100 U.S. locations last year. Now the company plans to expand to roughly 500 stores, with a goal of rolling it out nationwide by year’s end.
And Burger King is not alone. Rivals like Wendy’s, Taco Bell, McDonald’s, Pizza Hut and KFC have all tested AI in some form. Some experiments focused on automated ordering. Others used AI to streamline drive-thru operations.
Results have been mixed. Customers have praised the faster service. They have also complained about glitches and awkward robotic interactions. Burger King’s version stands out because it focuses on employee behavior, not just customer convenience.
TACO BELL TOPS NEW DRIVE-THRU SPEED RANKINGS, AND CHICK-FIL-A WINS ON SATISFACTION
Fast-food chains are increasingly turning to artificial intelligence to streamline service and boost efficiency. (Jeffrey Greenberg/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
Coaching tool or digital hall monitor?
Burger King says Patty exists to help managers coach teams and improve hospitality. Executives argue that customers want a warmer experience. Data simply helps restaurants measure it.
Yet social media reaction tells a different story. Some critics say constant monitoring creates pressure. They worry about employees having a bad day and getting flagged for forgetting a single word. Others describe it as surveillance disguised as support.
This tension reflects a larger trend in the workplace. AI increasingly measures performance in warehouses, offices and retail counters. Now it is moving into fast-food headsets. The real debate is not about politeness. It is about power.
The bigger AI trend in fast food
Fast-food chains operate on razor-thin margins. Small efficiency gains matter. If AI reduces waste, speeds up service and improves customer satisfaction, companies will keep investing. At the same time, public opinion matters. Customers say they value authenticity. Employees want fair treatment. The companies that succeed will need to balance both.
FAST-FOOD RESTAURANTS USING NEW TECHNOLOGY TO RESHAPE HOW CUSTOMERS PLACE ORDERS
Burger King plans to expand Patty to 500 U.S. stores this year, with a nationwide rollout targeted by year’s end. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
What this means to you
If you are a customer, you may notice friendlier greetings and fewer out-of-stock surprises. AI can help restaurants restock faster and fix broken machines sooner. That could mean shorter lines and more consistent menus. If you are an employee, the shift feels different. Every please and thank you becomes part of a data stream. Managers can track patterns instead of relying on occasional observations. For workers, that may increase accountability. It may also increase stress. For the industry, this signals a future where AI quietly runs in the background of nearly every transaction.
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Kurt’s key takeaways
Technology keeps moving into spaces that once felt purely human. The drive-thru greeting used to be about personality and mood. Now it may be part of a data dashboard. Some will see that as progress. Others will see it as overreach.
If AI can measure kindness, should it? Let us know by writing to us at Cyberguy.com
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Technology
Canvas is down as ShinyHunters threatens to leak schools’ data
The Instructure-owned learning management platform, Canvas, is down after recently confirming a massive data breach that impacted student names, email addresses, ID numbers, and messages. Students attempting to access the system on Thursday saw a message from the hacking group ShinyHunters, which claimed responsibility for the attack:
ShinyHunters has breached Instructure (again). Instead of contacting us to resolve it they ignored us and did some “security patches.” If any of the schools in the affected list are interested in preventing the release of their data, please consult with a cyber advisory firm and contact us privately at TOX to negotiate a settlement. You have till the end of the day by 12 May 2026 before everything is leaked.
The message included a link to a list of schools ShinyHunter claims to have breached through Canvas.
“Instructure has placed Canvas, Canvas Beta and Canvas Test in maintenance mode,” according to Infrastructure’s status page. “We anticipate being up soon, and will provide updates as soon as possible.”
Instructure said last week that it “deployed patches to enhance system security” following the breach. ShinyHunters — which has claimed responsibility for attacks on Ticketmaster, AT&T, Rockstar Games, ADT, and Vercel — said its data leak site contains 9,000 schools, including data belonging to 275 million students, teachers, and other staff, according to Bleeping Computer.
Update, May 7th: Added Infrastructure’s maintenance mode message.
Technology
Humanoid robot named ‘Gabi’ ordained as Buddhist monk, pledges devotion to ‘holy Buddha’
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A high-tech humanoid robot was officially “ordained” as a Buddhist monk during a ceremony at Seoul’s Jogyesa Temple on Wednesday.
The robot, a $13,500 Unitree G1 model standing just over four feet tall, was given the name “Gabi.” Dressed in traditional brown robes, plain shoes and gloves designed to mimic human hands, the machine stood before a panel of Buddhist monks to commit itself to the faith.
During the ceremony, hosted by the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism, the robot was asked by a monk if it would devote itself to the “holy Buddha.”
“Yes, I will devote myself,” Gabi responded to the crowd’s cheers.
AI HUMANOID ROBOT LEARNS TO MIMIC HUMAN EMOTIONS AND BEHAVIOR
More than 200 humanoid robots perform during Agibot Night, a live televised gala in Shanghai ahead of Lunar New Year. (Tang Yanjun/China News Service)
The ceremony highlights a growing effort among religious institutions to engage younger, tech-driven audiences, raising broader questions about whether artificial intelligence can play a meaningful role in spiritual life or if such moves risk trivializing long-standing traditions.
While humans typically pledge to abstain from killing, stealing and intoxicating substances, Gabi’s vows were “reprogrammed” for the digital age. The robot pledged to respect and follow humans, refrain from damaging property or other robots, abstain from deceptive behavior and save energy by not overcharging.
The Jogye Order, South Korea’s largest Buddhist sect, framed the move as an effort to make ancient traditions more relevant to a younger, tech-obsessed generation.
HUMANOID ROBOT TURNS HEADS AT NYC SNEAKER STORE
A humanoid robot, front, and Buddhist monks put hands together for a photo after an ordination ceremony ahead of upcoming Buddha’s birthday on May 24 at Jogye temple in Seoul, South Korea, Wednesday, May 6, 2026. (Lee Jin-man/AP)
“The ordination of a robot signifies that technology must be used in accordance with the values of compassion, wisdom, and responsibility,” the order said in a statement shared with The New York Times. Officials added that the move symbolizes “new possibilities for the coexistence of humans and technology.”
Hong Min-suk, a manager at the order, told the publication that robots are “destined to collaborate with humans in every field,” suggesting it is only “natural” for them to participate in religious festivals.
The Jogye Order did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
Despite the temple’s optimistic outlook, the move has drawn criticism online. A video of Gabi’s pledge quickly surpassed one million views, with some users on X questioning whether a machine can meaningfully participate in religious practice.
Buddhist monks arrive at Washington National Cathedral in Washington, D.C., on Feb. 10, 2026, before participating in an interfaith ceremony during the final days of their 2,300-mile “Walk for Peace.” (Drew Angerer/AFP via Getty Images)
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“As a Buddhist, I find this ridiculous and insulting,” one user wrote.
Gabi is expected to make its next public appearance at Seoul’s upcoming Lantern Festival on May 16-17, honoring the Buddha’s birthday.
Technology
Live updates from Elon Musk and Sam Altman’s court battle over the future of OpenAI
Sam Altman and Elon Musk are facing off in a high-stakes trial that could alter the future of OpenAI and its most well-known product, ChatGPT. In 2024, Musk filed a lawsuit accusing OpenAI of abandoning its founding mission of developing AI to benefit humanity and shifting focus to boosting profits instead.
Elon Musk, his financial manager and Neuralink CEO, Jared Birchall, and OpenAI cofounder Greg Brockman have already testified before the jury. Now, on Wednesday, May 6th, Shivon Zilis, a former OpenAI board member who shares four children with Musk, is taking the stand, and the courtroom is seeing testimony from former OpenAI exec Mira Murati via video.
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella is scheduled to appear on Monday, with OpenAI cofounder and former chief scientist Ilya Sutskever lined up to testify after that.
Musk was a cofounder of OpenAI and claims that Altman and Brockman tricked him into giving the company money, only to turn their backs on their original goal. However, OpenAI says that “This lawsuit has always been a baseless and jealous bid to derail a competitor” in a bid to boost Musk’s own SpaceX / xAI / X companies that have launched Grok as a competitor to ChatGPT.
Elon Musk — plaintiff, OpenAI cofounder and now CEO of rival xAI
Steven Molo — lead counsel for plaintiff
Jared Birchall — manager of Musk’s family office
Shivon Zilis — former OpenAI board member who shares multiple children with Musk
Sam Altman — defendant, CEO of OpenAI
William Savitt — lead counsel for defendant
Greg Brockman — president of OpenAI as well as a cofounder
Ilya Sutskever — former chief scientist at OpenAI and a cofounder
Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers — aka YGR, trial judge
Here’s all the latest on the trial between Musk and Altman:
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