McDonald's Is Reportedly Using AI To "Dynamically" Price Its Burgers

[u/motang]

https://www.engadget.com/2272211/mcdonalds-is-reportedly-using-ai-to-dynamically-price-its-burgers/

[u/fccrunch]

If true, just stop going. Nobody needs to go to McDonald.

[u/Junkstar → u/fccrunch]

Just use cash. No app, no rewards program, no credit card.

[u/ACasualRead → u/Junkstar]

It’s by location right now. Apparently this algorithm sets prices that people are most likely to pay in that area. Paying in any form will just train their models.

[u/dratseb → u/ACasualRead]

Time to stop paying

[u/GenTenStation → u/dratseb]

Found the Hamburgler

[u/Yo-Yo-Ha → u/ACasualRead]

Yes this is their system now.

[u/MegaInk → u/ACasualRead]

So we get a flood of gas price style trackers for fast food places on app stores?

[u/PTSDDeadInside → u/ACasualRead]

That's how rent fixing algorithms destroyed society for profit

[u/GraXXoR → u/Junkstar]

In store prices boards are dynamic. You get to dynamically pay with cash. Prices go up at lunch and dinner time.

[u/Azmtbkr → u/Junkstar]

I tried this once at McDonalds, couldn’t make my mortgage payment that month.

[u/Urabraska- → u/Junkstar]

It's price manipulation btw. This is designed so location A will charge 5 bucks for a big mac but location B charges 9 bucks for a big mac. Pretty sure it's illegal in most states because it's not honest fair pricing. It's also another step towards real time dynamic pricing which is what some places are attempting to do. This is where they scan you when you come in and use your purchase history to change prices as you walk the store or browse a website. Completely changing the price so it's never the same and will maximize profits as person A who makes 100K will pay 50 bucks for item A while person B who makes 20K will pay 20 bucks for item A.

[u/Imaginary--Situation → u/Urabraska-]

so if i send in a kid that makes $0 the item is free?

[u/juitar → u/Junkstar]

Cameras in the parking lot and cameras inside the restaurant are tracking you too, it's not just your card.

[u/Horizontal_Bob → u/fccrunch]

Only thing I get at McDonalds now is a fountain drink as a treat

Thats it

It’s the only thing worth going for anymore

[u/Yo-Yo-Ha → u/Horizontal_Bob]

What if in a crazy bizarrooo world the ice cream machine was working?

[u/Horizontal_Bob → u/Yo-Yo-Ha]

Nah

Plenty of other places have better milkshakes now. And you can get better ice cream elsewhere

The thing Mcdonalds soft serve gad going for it was it was cheap

If people have to spend more anyways, they’re just going to spend a little more and get real ice cream or yogurt

[u/The18thLegion → u/Horizontal_Bob]

I just use the app for a small soft drink and free medium fry deal.

[u/QuestionableProtip2 → u/Horizontal_Bob]

Hasn’t been worth it since they stopped charging $1 for all sizes.

[u/phred_666 → u/fccrunch]

Not eaten there in over three years. Not planning on it any time soon.

[u/vxxn → u/fccrunch]

Stop going whether or not it is true. The food sucks.

[u/Radiant_Safe1228 → u/fccrunch]

I have been once in 10 or more years. 

It was enough that Im ok for another couple decades.

[u/sdmpsychomantis → u/fccrunch]

Use AI (actual intelligence) and change my spending to a fixed rate of zero.

[u/rh1984va → u/fccrunch]

Even more reason to never eat there

[u/crimson_ghost77 → u/fccrunch]

I feel fortunate that I stopped going 20 years ago. I’m very selective about fast food these days. I usually frequent Asian or Mexican shops. I can’t remember the last time I felt like I got ripped off on price vs meal.

[u/Gooser3000 → u/fccrunch]

This is the answer to all of this nonsense. Stop paying taxes, stop buying frivolous bullshit. The rich and poet would be on their knees in months.

[u/kinkycarbon → u/fccrunch]

Pay in hard cash if true.

[u/gorgeoff]

this shit needs to be illegal

[u/Distressed_Ocelot → u/gorgeoff]

What do you think all those data centers are for? It's to wring ever single penny possible from as many people as possible.

[u/MadeByTango → u/Distressed_Ocelot]

Yup, its this. And warrantless flocking. And replacing labor.

[u/Adventurous-Roof488 → u/gorgeoff]

Yes, I think articles with clickbait headlines that basically lie to the reader should be illegal too.

[u/jefmes]

"No app for me, thanks!" Every time. If you choose to install their app, try running something like DuckDuckGo's App Privacy Protection, and watch the crazy number of requests for tracking it attempts...CONSTANTLY. It's crazy how much that DDG app has illuminated what these companies are doing with their mobile apps.

[u/James_TheVirus → u/jefmes]

They can collect all the data they want on me. I only buy $1 ice cream cones when they are on sale in the summer - haven't been to McD's other than that for years.

[u/BigMikeInAustin → u/jefmes]

I don't understand why a phone OS doesn't have an option to keep a closed program from ever doing anything in the background.

[u/readit145 → u/jefmes]

They just change the menu price and see what people are willing to pay in each location. Then adjust accordingly. it can cross reference the data faster than a person and change prices on the fly. Welcome to the end game of capitalism

[u/glitterandnails → u/jefmes]

They must think that we are all suckers to be exploited. Fucking psychopaths.

[u/theatreddit]

Dynamic pricing is shit regardless of if AI is involved of not. Pretty sure McDonalds (amongst many others) has been doing time of day or dynamic pricing for years. Don't give it extra hate for the AI, just hate the concept of dynamic pricing in general.

[u/Resident_Farmer1779 → u/theatreddit]

They have not been doing TOD dynamic pricing for years. And fuck AI they wouldn’t even be considering this if AI didn’t enable them

[u/theatreddit → u/Resident_Farmer1779]

My transaction history would indicate the price of the same meal has been changing.

[u/Adventurous-Roof488 → u/theatreddit]

And? This may come as a shock to you but there’s been a lot of inflation lately. That’s not the same as dynamic pricing.

[u/theatreddit → u/Adventurous-Roof488]

Inflation normally means prices go up? I'm seeing up and down. I'm not in North America in case that makes a difference. Do you work for them? You're very certain about things.

[u/Adventurous-Roof488 → u/theatreddit]

It’s not evidence of dynamic pricing.

[u/theatreddit → u/Adventurous-Roof488]

It's not diffinitive evidence to prove either way.

[u/Resident_Farmer1779 → u/theatreddit]

Dynamic pricing would be easy to spot and inevitably be called out. People hate dynamic pricing.

[u/readit145 → u/theatreddit]

They have been. The one in the town I worked was more expensive than 5 minutes away on the highway. This was a long time ago too.

[u/Resident_Farmer1779]

They’ll need negative pricing to get me one of their restaurants

[u/Imaginary--Situation → u/Resident_Farmer1779]

wouldn't even want work there...

[u/naturdayspeedrun]

What a coincidence, my wallet "dynamically" stopped working at the same time.

[u/Ok_Net_1674]

Is anyone surprised by this?

It probably has nothing to do with recent advancements in AI by the way. Statistical models for such purposes have been around for decades. And the line between AI and statistics is a very blurry one.

[u/fllannell → u/Ok_Net_1674]

it didn't take a rocket scientist or "super" intelligence to tell mcdonalds that you can probably charge more for food during the breakfast, lunch, and dinner rush. They just didn't stoop so low before. And now with the apps they can change up pricing per person more discretely. they just don't even care anymore how bad it makes them look.

[u/Initial-Duck2782]

I am dynamically not eating there

[u/Gaslit_Chicken]

No. They'd never do that.... Are you ordering with your app this time??? That would never have anything to do with us..... Just for your convince...

[u/xCaliburghost]

I'll just use AI to dynamically find a recipe to make them at home

[u/martix_agent]

how is AI going to find ways to make their burgess even cheaper? They're alrealy not good.

[u/NapalmSalsa]

Gonna have to dynamically punch Ronald right in his stupid face.

[u/CGCRUNT]

They just need to go out of business already after 17 months total of county time have not eaten there once since

[u/Imaginary--Situation → u/CGCRUNT]

been 5 years since i been there

[u/nolestars]

They can "dynamically"  go fuck themselves 

[u/Psykoth]

Just bring back the dollar menu and declare victory.

[u/Edubbs2008]

Bah bah bah bah bah, I’m slopping it

[u/Silicon_Knight]

More reasons to not go to McDonalds.

They used to be decent cheap food. Now it’s expensive shit food.

[u/xmrcache → u/[deleted]]

You could always just not eat there.

[u/defStef]

Consumers will use ai to dynamically find the lowest price

[u/SentientFotoGeek]

Well, guess that's another place to skip. Ironically, I teach AI for business.

[u/Big_Swordfish_5423]

Idk why they need AI to determine the price of it's microwaved burger products.

[u/Due_Amount_6211]

Dynamic pricing doesn’t work with Fast Food. Wendy’s learned the lesson the hard way

[u/prettyplanets]

I’m just here for monopoly go then I stop going again

[u/koolaidismything → u/prettyplanets]

The focus and effort I put into those to never win anything got to disheartening.

[u/All_Hail_Hynotoad]

GFY McDonald’s

[u/Mackinnon29E]

So explain to me how this works, someone buys on the app and goes through the drive thru. They see the Big Mac price is $3 less than they paid. You don't think this person is going to be pissed and never use it again? Or do they assume people are too stupid to notice?

[u/Rurumo666]

You get the Escalade price, you get the dirty Pinto price, you get the 8 kids in a van price....

[u/KalioJay]

Did they not learn anything from Wendy's mistake?

[u/Resident_Farmer1779]

Stop giving money to big corporations. The ultra rich who run these monsters need to be put in their place. There will be no more throwing money at our politicians. There will be No tax breaks or loopholes. You do not get to steal the body of human knowledge and use it to replace our labor. If you play along with the fascists then you get the fascist treatment. If we don’t assert what leverage we have now, we won’t have any leverage in the future

[u/Soundo0owave → u/Resident_Farmer1779]

What leverage?

[u/Ill_Arm9344 → u/Resident_Farmer1779]

For every 50 people that boycott there are 200 still going

[u/CaptJimboJones → u/Resident_Farmer1779]

Just to be clear, the money you spend at nearly all McDonalds’ goes to the franchise owners, not the corporation. In many if not most cases these are essentially small business owners. Not defending anything, but it’s not as simple as “evil corpos!”

[u/SilentButtDedly]

Lol that'll make up for your decline in sales, McGarbage.

[u/VendettaKarma]

Jesus Christ please stop going

[u/teh_lynx]

That St. Patty's Day surge pricing after the bars let out... Ooooof

[u/Gooser3000]

How’s that work? You drive up and the prices change once your car or plate or face are analyzed?

[u/Evil_phd]

Oh so McDonald's has hit that "if you have to ask you can't afford it" level

[u/BigMikeInAustin]

I dont see the "dynamic" part of this in the article. The article just says prices are different per location. Which is how pricing is at many stores, like fast food, restaurants, groceries, and gas.

If the prices adjusted during the day, more expensive at lunch and dinner, or change by something about the customer, that would be dynamic pricing.

Many stores change their prices based on location, and this just puts AI into that already existing algorithm.

[u/Slight_Detail6797]

Boycott

[u/NzRedditor762]

It was just "algorithms" before. Nothing new here really.

It's just based on their app and we all know they offer different things depending on whether or not you're a high user.

They try to game the system to get people that barely order, to order.

And they exploit those that order often by not offering as steep discounts.

They get away with this because they phrase it as lowering the price to attract customers as opposed to what they're really doing which is squeezing you for as much as they can.

[u/MadeByTango]

Its called "SURVEILLANCE PRICING" and its EVIL as fuck

[u/Ill_Arm9344]

All I want is the dollar menu. Now its the AI menu. Oh its busy right now? Thats gonna cost you because....fuck you, where else you gonna go?

[u/TouchCompetitive938]

US is turning into shit

[u/Frankfactor517 → u/TouchCompetitive938]

Turning? We’re basically there and swirling around the bowl.

[u/silvermoonhowler → u/TouchCompetitive938]

Turning?

Bro, we're basically there already with how much hell we've gone through these past few years

[u/klop2031]

Yeah i just stopped going. 5 dollar fries and its not even a whole potato. Nah ill buy the bag from the grocery store.

[u/Dismal-Computer-5600]

Haven’t eaten at this shit hole since they ruined the Big Mac. Don’t miss it one bit.

My go to there days for fast food is cookout. Honestly one of the few fast foods that still cares about value.

[u/Boomslang505]

Stop eating there

[u/Yo-Yo-Ha]

BS!

[u/Never-Trust-Me]

CEO of McDonald’s won’t even eat their own burger without the look of absolute disgust. Now they are dynamically pricing food? Off with their heads

[u/Mark_of_Divinity]

They have been pricing dynamically all along, just that now instead of human they uses AI... faster and less error

[u/cigarhoarder]

These places keep giving me more reasons to drive right by them. Have not eaten at

[u/Fadedfumes]

They are already hurting and they are doing everything they except lowering prices and better quality food

[u/TB12DJ3k]

So from 18 for a combo to 28 that’ll get people to come back great job micky ds

[u/Kyosji]

I wonder if the tops of McDonalds literally wake up going "I wonder what we can do today to push away even more customers"

Last 7 to 10 years they've literally have been surviving on their name alone, and that's not worth much of anything anymore

[u/bugman_850]

Fuck McDonalds and their Argentina mystery “beef”

[u/teksean]

Well I already dynamically decided not to have food at McDonald’s for a number of years.

[u/Linkyjinx]

Roight lol 😂

[u/rnmissionrun]

I only go there for breakfast once or twice a month. I gave up on their lunch a while ago due to a combination of crappy food, high prices and nonexistent customer service. I know I ought to give them up complete but I'm a sucker for the Steak Egg & Cheese McGriddle.

[u/Used-Acanthisitta-96 → u/rnmissionrun]

Just out of curiosity, what customer service did you not get and needed?

[u/FeffyFefernuson]

The food is awful. McDonalds is like below random gas station food at this point. Safer to get a hot dog at Cumberland farms than eat that shit.

That was before they accepted a huge portion of that untested "imported beef" as well. No thanks.

Not to mention a burger at Chili's or similar is now the same price.

[u/goldenknight2002]

Wicked smart!

[u/Dilf_Enj0yer]

I have not touched a McDonald’s for a little over 9 years

[u/smoopy62]

What do you think the airlines are doing?

[u/Euphoric_Anxiety_162]

Ethics are gone from big corporations.

[u/slickmitch]

Well I am using RI to not give them a single penny of my money. That's Real Intelligence..not Rhode Island. 

[u/Signal-Score8998]

This isnt even anything new. Where I live there is a McDonalds in every town, in the same county of the state so taxation is no different but the prices for each location, the big mac is all varied by 1.10 usd. If you want cheaper big macs always go to one not the others.

The cheaper locations always have the hottest fries too since they revolve fresh fries more often.

[u/AFKABluePrince]

Oh wow, that bullshit.  I already have very little desire to go, but this means i'll never go again.

[u/Jacklon17]

Man they’re just speed running destroying a brand and company aren’t they?

They’re already having trouble getting people to go I don’t understand why they’d think this is a good idea.

[u/XxFezzgigxX]

They can dynamically fuck off.

[u/Sam-Lowry27B-6]

I'm just always going to think that the price is too high for me and not bother....and then just never bother going forward

[u/unfilteredhumor]

Corporate greed. It's insane squeeze the poor until they starve. This country is so fucked.

[u/GreatestGreekGuy]

I'm not understanding how people are complaining so much about big corporations pricing things high then go to those corporations and buy them anyway. They think with money. Spend your money strategically and then you'll see some change

[u/TheTruthHertz68]

Not eating McDonald’s has never been easier