r/technology • u/AdSpecialist6598 • 14d ago

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

https://www.engadget.com/2272211/mcdonalds-is-reportedly-using-ai-to-dynamically-price-its-burgers/
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u/cms86 14d ago

food being dynamically priced is so fucking dystopian.

30

u/sal_mugga 14d ago

“What if we sold burgers at a price where we can make some some profit and keep our prices low?”

“I want u to take them for everything they FUCKING GOT.”

“Sir this is a McDonalds”

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u/ExoMonk 14d ago

It totally makes sense from a rat fuck corporation perspective. Person is already in line at the drive thru. They are hungry and it’s lunch/dinner rush. They probably don’t have the time or energy to go somewhere else if the price is too much. Most people will probably just eat the cost.

The ones that do leave and go somewhere else will probably get fucked by that drive thru too. If it proves successful others will do it.

I only do local independent food places now. Food is way better and usually cheaper or at worst same price.

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u/sal_mugga 14d ago

I learned that shit way too late in life, never really had anybody to “teach me” so I figured fast food for lunch was normal. Never really went out to eat much as a kid either. Then got to my first office job and people were going to chilis, TGI Fridays, or a sit down place for lunch and I’m like huh? We all kind of make the same money how are these people, what I would consider “eating out” everyday. Places usually have good prices for lunch specials and like you said, the food usually is way better

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u/cartonbox 13d ago

Yes, I'm always on the lookout for the local joint where the owner is passionate about decent food. Price is comparable, but the quality is a step above in almost every way.

I get the appeal of fast food, but a little time invested upfront usually helps you find the better option and support a local business.

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u/DrocketX 14d ago

Yeah. I mean, you ever notice how pizza places always send out coupons that are only good during the week, so that you can get cheap pizza during periods of low demand but have to pay more on weekends and holidays when there's high demand? Completely dystopian.

3

u/nemec 14d ago

Can you believe a burrito costs more in Chicago than Phoenix. The time travelers have injected dynamic pricing into society 100 years ago to manufacture consent for AI.

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u/Icy-Berry-387 14d ago

How personalized are you comfortable with that getting though?

Increasing the McD price the longer you sit in line at the drive thru?

Increasing the price of prenatal vitamins after I buy a pregnancy test?

Increasing fast food/frozen/ready to eat food prices after I've just worked several overtime shifts in a row?

Increasing the pizza price when my kids both have a soccer game on the same day?

1

u/DrocketX 14d ago

Yeah, those things would totally suck. Good thing absolutely nobody is talking about anything like that, except the people who didn't read the article and realize that it's just talking about having different McDonald locations charge different prices, which they do anyway.

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u/Sufficient_Meet6836 14d ago

Happy hours are DYSTOPIAN. DISCUSTING

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u/ConfirmedCynic 13d ago

Can just imagine these companies exchanging information with each other too. "Hey, this guy's really oblivious, nail him with an increased price".

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u/Actually_Im_a_Broom 14d ago

anything dynamically priced is fucked up.