AI chatbot ‘Patty’ will be integrated into employees’ headsets at Burger King. Patty, a voice-enabled chatbot, is part of the BK Assistant platform, which helps employees with meal preparation and assesses customer interactions for friendliness. Thibault Roux, Burger King’s chief digital officer, stated that the AI was trained to recognize phrases like “welcome to Burger King,” “please,” and “thank you,” using data from franchisees and guests. Managers can use the AI as a coaching tool to evaluate friendliness and tone.
Powered by OpenAI, Patty acts as the voice of the BK Assistant, merging data from drive-thru interactions, kitchen equipment, inventory, and more. It provides answers to questions about meal preparation or equipment cleaning and alerts managers about maintenance issues or stock shortages. If an item is unavailable, it is promptly removed from stock.
Although Burger King is introducing the AI into employee headsets, it’s cautious about rolling out AI drive-thrus. Roux mentioned that while McDonald’s, Wendy’s, and Taco Bell have tested such systems, not all customers are ready for them. Burger King’s AI drive-thru technology is being tested in fewer than 100 locations. The company aims to launch the BK Assistant platform in all U.S. restaurants by the end of 2026, with Patty piloting in 500 locations.