Food for thought as Hungry Jack’s AI drive-through raises questions

An Australian AI* drive-through trial at a fast food restaurant has hinted that a number of entry-level jobs traditionally filled by teenagers could eventually be replaced by bots. Hungry Jack’s confirmed it was testing a “new digital voice-activated customer ordering system” at one of its restaurants to assess its “effectiveness”.

The AI system was currently only being used at a single outlet in Sydney’s Inner West but the company expected the trial would be “rolled out to additional restaurants in the coming months”.

La Trobe University AI and analytics* Professor Daswin De Silva said using chatbots* for low-level employment like a Hungry Jack’s drive-through raised questions about corporate ethics* – a complex AI issue the federal government was being urged to consider.

“This potentially will be receiving a huge backlash* and … I’m assuming they’ll have to roll this back because this is a very community embedded* organisation,” Professor De Silva said.

MCDONALD’S GETS A MAKEOVER
McDonald’s recently confirmed its 43,000 stores (there are an estimated 1053 in Australia) were in line for a technology makeover.

“Our restaurants, frankly, can be very stressful,” the fast food giant’s chief information officer Brian Rice told the Wall Street Journalin March.

“We have customers at the counter, we have customers at our drive-through, couriers coming in for delivery, delivery at kerbside. That’s a lot to deal with for our crew.

“Technology solutions will alleviate* the stress.”

McDonald’s has not said whether that technology could come at the cost of jobs typically taken up by teens making their first start in the workforce.

The fast food chain is one of the largest employers in Australia, with an estimated 105,000 employees.

WOULD YOU LIKE FRIES WITH THAT?
It comes after McDonald’s ended its test of AI chatbots at drive-throughs in 100 locations around the US in July last year.

The test run ended without the burger chain making a public statement, according to Restaurant Business.

But mistakes were reported – with customers saying they often received things they didn’t order.

Some of the errors included adding nine sweet teas to one customer’s order and giving another customer an ice cream cone with bacon on top.

Just months later, KFC Australia began trialling AI drive-through technology in five NSW restaurants. It’s called “Kacy”, but despite its human name, the chain said no jobs were being replaced by the technology.

AUSSIES CONCERNED ABOUT AI
Greg Sadler, chief executive of AI safety advocates* Good Ancestors*, said AI was already outperforming humans at some tasks. He also said recent research found four in five Australians were concerned about negative outcomes from AI.

“Impressive AI agents are already being used and will be widely adopted. That could have significant impacts on entry-level jobs, from drive-throughs to medicine and law,” Mr Sadler said.

Professor De Silva said responsible AI could increase productivity, and potentially help solve global issues like hunger and climate, but that Hungry Jack’s and other fast-food outlets around the world risked damaging public trust.

“Large organisations who have … large revenue* have a corporate social responsibility* to make sure that the community is part of their organisation,” he said.

He added that replacing physical labour with robots was much further off due to huge costs.

Industry, Innovation* and Science Minister Tim Ayres told an AI conference on Tuesday that Australia must “lean in” to help shape the digital future.

“AI adoption is not a future task for firms and government – it is well and truly underway" he said.

Australia’s challenge, he said, was to “realise the opportunities where we can, and regulate* where we must.”

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GLOSSARY

• AI: artificial intelligence, computer systems that perform tasks that would normally require human intelligence, such as learning, reasoning, and making decisions
• analytics: computers examining information using mathematical methods in order to find useful patterns
• chatbots: computer programs designed to have conversations with human beings
• corporate ethics: rules, principles and beliefs about what is morally right or wrong when doing business
• backlash: a strong, negative reaction to something, especially involving change
• embedded: something permanent, firmly and deeply connected to its surrounds
• alleviate: relieve, reduce, lessen
• advocates: publicly supporters of an idea, cause or way of doing something
• ancestors: older and previous generations or family members
• revenue: total money earned from sales of goods and services
• corporate social responsibility: bringing ethical or moral elements like public interest and environmental concerns, into business strategies
• innovation: new idea, method or device
• regulate: control, monitor, manage something using rules, laws and policies
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QUICK QUIZ

1. How many McDonald’s stores are there estimated to be in Australia?
2. What is the AI trial underway at a Hungry Jack’s outlet?
3. What is the human name given to KFC’s AI technology?
4. How many McDonald’s location in the US were trialling drive-through chatbots last year?
5. What were two mistakes reported during the trial?
6. LISTEN TO THIS STORY

CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES
1. Are people better than AI?

“Being served by a person is always better!” What do you think about this statement? Write some very convincing paragraphs that explain your point of view.

Time: allow at least 30: minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links: English, Personal and Social Capability, Economics and Business Studies

2. Extension
What regulations, or limits, do you think should be placed on using AI in workplaces? Write a list. Next to each item on your list, write sentences explaining why it is important.

Time: allow at least 30 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links: English, Science, Information Technology

VCOP ACTIVITY
Grammar and VCOP
The glossary of terms helps you to understand and learn the ambitious vocabulary being used in the article. Can you use the words outlined in the glossary to create new sentences? Challenge yourself to include other VCOP (vocabulary, connectives, openers and punctuation) elements in your sentence/s. Have another look through the article, can you find any other Wow Words not outlined in the glossary?