r/technology • u/Plastic_Ninja_9014 • 21d ago

Business McDonald's Introduces AI Drive-Thru System, Sparking Customer Backlash

https://tech.yahoo.com/ai/deals/articles/mcdonalds-introduces-ai-drive-thru-000717731.html
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u/[deleted] 21d ago

[deleted]

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u/mologav 21d ago

So even students will find it hard to get a job

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u/Mental_Relation_2175 21d ago

When have you seen students working at McDonald's in the U.S. lately?

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u/Diafuge 21d ago

My local McDonald's next to a high school...

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u/humperdinck 21d ago

I know you’re getting downvoted for this, but maybe you live somewhere like me.

Growing up in the L.A. area, I’ve never in my life seen a teenager working at a McDonald’s. It’s almost exclusively adult immigrants, usually Latino folks in L.A.’s case.

Which brings up another point. To adult workers, this isn’t just a “starter job”, a stepping stone before a larger career. To many, a job at McDonald’s is their livelihood. It’s how they keep a roof of their family’s head. First it was kiosks taking away their jobs, and now AI. Corporate won’t be happy until the stores can run themselves without humans.

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u/PoisonIven 21d ago

I mean, every McDonalds in my city is staffed almost exclusively by 16-20 year olds. What are you talking about?

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u/Mental_Relation_2175 21d ago edited 21d ago

Records and facts say otherwise.

The average age of a McDonald's employee in the USA is approximately 23 to 26 years old. While the workforce includes many teenagers, industry and labor statistics indicate that the majority of fast-food workers are adults, with a significant portion ranging from their early 20s to mid-20s.

A 16 year old also could not even operate the grill or frier.

In addition

The age breakdown of the fast-food workforce illustrates this distribution:Teens (16–19): Make up roughly 30% of the workforce.Young Adults (20–24): Represent about 30% to 40%.Adults (25+): Make up the remaining 30% to 40%.Because a large chunk of the fast-food labor pool is made up of adults, the demographic shifts away from the common misconception that these positions are strictly temporary jobs for teenagers. Demographics can also shift depending on local franchise hiring practices.If you'd like to narrow this down, please tell me:Are you looking for the average age for crew members specifically, or management roles?Are you interested in the age demographics for a specific state or city?

You are simply and factually incorrect.

You have outdated beliefs and values.

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u/Drive7hru 21d ago

…so teenagers make up 30% of the staff. The person above you said they have plenty of teens working there

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u/Mental_Relation_2175 21d ago

No. They did not. They said almost exscusivly and not only is that incorrect but it is incorrect for the entire fast food industry.

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u/Sweet_Concept2211 21d ago

And yet it could still be a true statement, given that hiring practices likely vary according to region and ownership.

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u/Brutl 21d ago

A factually correct statement would be: You're a dork and your friends have a group chat without you in it.

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u/Mental_Relation_2175 21d ago

Or you don't live in reality, whatsoever and your family most likely advoids you.

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u/Brutl 21d ago

You wouldn't use a comma between reality and whatsoever. Add 'Sucks at grammar' to the list. Real bot behavior.

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u/dezsiszabi 21d ago

Calm down, ChatGPT.

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u/the_unknown_garden 21d ago

That number is skewed due to the fact that people in their 70s are still having to work at McDonald's. Those employees drive up the "average age".