this post was submitted on 30 Sep 2026
243 points (98.0% liked)

Technology

88303 readers
3320 users here now

This is a most excellent place for technology news and articles.


Our Rules


  1. Follow the lemmy.world rules.
  2. Only tech related news or articles.
  3. Be excellent to each other!
  4. Mod approved content bots can post up to 10 articles per day.
  5. Threads asking for personal tech support may be deleted.
  6. Politics threads may be removed.
  7. No memes allowed as posts, OK to post as comments.
  8. Only approved bots from the list below, this includes using AI responses and summaries. To ask if your bot can be added please contact a mod.
  9. Check for duplicates before posting, duplicates may be removed
  10. Accounts 7 days and younger will have their posts automatically removed.

Approved Bots


founded 3 years ago
MODERATORS
 

McDonald's has been using artificial intelligence to dynamically price menu items in the US and some global markets, according to a report by Reuters. This involves finding the "optimal price" to match what a particular store's patrons would be willing to pay.

This fluctuates according to location, and even stores in the same city can have different cost amounts for the same exact items, according to information reviewed by Reuters. This is basically surge pricing, like with ride-share platforms, but for hockey puck burgers that have been sitting under a hot lamp.

Reuters got a look at the interface that franchisees use to access this technology and it's pretty creepy. Messages show stuff like "your restaurant is showing MEDIUM SENSITIVITY to price" based on "customer willingness to pay in your area." Cost differences at nearby locations can be stark. Researchers found that a Bic Mac at a Fresno, California store cost $5.69, but the same burger cost $6.89 at another branch two miles down the road. That's a 21 percent difference.

top 50 comments
sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[–] Miller@lemmy.world 33 points 2 hours ago (2 children)

Dynamic pricing nudges the price to the maximum a customer can afford which temporarily maximises profits but creates in the mind of the customer a feeling of being relentlessly over charged and eventually and long-term they won't come back.

[–] acosmichippo@lemmy.world 5 points 1 hour ago* (last edited 1 hour ago)

that’s where the app deals for free french fries every 3rd tuesday in February comes in. now you really got em!

[–] Serinus@lemmy.world 9 points 2 hours ago

You'll profit early though. Usually people don't leave when they see high prices. They just pay it once and are much more reluctant to ever return.

[–] Bristlecone@lemmy.world 8 points 1 hour ago

Glad I haven't eaten their trash microplastic food in like 5 years since I found out it was our pedophile and Chief's favorite restaurant

[–] SaharaMaleikuhm@feddit.org 9 points 2 hours ago

You get to eat slop and have it priced by slop. What a time to be alive!

[–] Flames5123@sh.itjust.works 3 points 1 hour ago

So glad Washington state was the first state to ban AI "Surveillance Pricing" at Grocery Stores. Hopefully it expands to dynamic pricing and for all business soon.

[–] kibblebits@quokk.au 4 points 2 hours ago

“How much can you afford? Do you want a payment plan?”

[–] Kekzkrieger@feddit.org 4 points 2 hours ago (1 children)

I mean it's peoples fault really. They let them get through with this. Shit food, shit prices, smaller portions etc and people still queue to get a burger.

Unfortunately things will get shittier because people are just too careless about these things so we can't have nice things.

[–] foo@feddit.uk 2 points 1 hour ago

Absolutely. If people accept it they'll keep doing it.

However, if they're departing from a straightforward price tag where prices are consistent and pre-agreed, it sounds like we're going back to the time of bartering. Anywhere that implements this, customers should be prepared to say no at the till. They might backtrack on this when customers with a huge trolley pull up at the checkout and then refuse to pay because they disagree with the amount.

[–] chunes@lemmy.world 29 points 4 hours ago (3 children)

So if I have no income, dynamic pricing will set the price to free, right?

[–] mitrosus@discuss.tchncs.de 2 points 1 hour ago

The dynamics is unidirectional.

[–] x00z@lemmy.world 4 points 1 hour ago

The AI will determine there are a few generous people on the parking lot to whom you can beg for the money.

Never! Corporations only use technology for evil.

[–] belochka@lemmy.world 1 points 1 hour ago

So. Say what you want about Russian racketeer government's practices, the former local franchise called "Vkusno i tochka" doesn't do this.

Does feel bland other than their fish burger though.

I've read Burger King is considered bad in the USA, in Russia it's kinda fine.

[–] EmilieEasie@fedinsfw.app 41 points 5 hours ago* (last edited 5 hours ago) (1 children)

I'm so glad I quit going. And if I quit going, pretty much everyone has

I had one of those less than stellar childhoods, but I had a fantastic grandparent that would take me to McDonald's sometimes, and that was A HUGE BRIGHT SPOT for me, back when they had aquariums and play places in them? Like, until pretty recently, I was a die-hard fan. I WANTED to like them. What they actually tasted like almost didn't matter, the SIGHT of the yellow arches made me start to think about what being loved by a trusted adult feels like.

They had to WORK TO LOSE ME as a customer rather than the other way around. And they still managed.

[–] acosmichippo@lemmy.world 1 points 1 hour ago* (last edited 1 hour ago)

i think you underestimate how little most people care about politics, current events, AI, etc.

[–] xenomor@lemmy.world 7 points 3 hours ago (1 children)

I cannot get over the fact that McDonalds charged me $7.50 for a sausage egg biscuit with cheese the other day.

[–] AlecSadler@lemmy.dbzer0.com 6 points 3 hours ago

Just priced out a pack of biscuits, breakfast sausages, carton of eggs, and cheese at my local store... $9.97

Damn.

[–] thesohoriots@lemmy.world 20 points 5 hours ago

Yum Brands, which owns KFC and Taco Bell… [is] developing AI platforms for just about everything, including a dynamic drive-thru menu that changes based on the car approaching the window.

Bet you didn’t algorithm this portly fuck in a tricked out ‘93 Del Sol wanting 55 enchritos until tonight.

[–] GreenBeard@lemmy.ca 19 points 5 hours ago (1 children)

Anyone with any sense and other options stopped eating there a long time ago. I feel bad for those who literally live where there's no other viable option, mostly because it will rapidly make the last possible option non-viable.

I have zero sympathy for those with good alternatives that don't walk away. The company ran its course. Let it burn.

[–] ladicius@lemmy.world 8 points 4 hours ago (4 children)

no other viable option

Are there people who can't prepare the most basic foods themselves? I'd always prefer to prepare or cook something myself over getting fast food. Even a slice of bread with some cheese or meat plus some carrots or such is better than fast food in my eyes (and much cheaper anyways).

[–] eestileib@sh.itjust.works 4 points 2 hours ago

You can go to the grocery store and buy frozen French fries and frozen patties and heat them in a toaster oven and it will be cheaper and better than McDonald's.

Granted for that you need a freezer and a toaster oven and a grocery store, and many people don't have those.

[–] ArmoredThirteen@lemmy.zip 3 points 3 hours ago (2 children)

I know people in their 30s who don't know how to cook beyond microwave meals and actively don't want to learn. Some of them have enough money they basically always go out to eat and drive throughs are convenient

[–] Tollana1234567@lemmy.today 1 points 1 hour ago

some get so addicted to eating out, eating home cooked food is not tasteful to them anymore.

[–] SaharaMaleikuhm@feddit.org 0 points 2 hours ago

Sad miserable losers

[–] lemmyng@lemmy.world 5 points 3 hours ago

Are there people who can't prepare the most basic foods themselves?

Sadly yes, either because they were never taught or never learned the basic skills, or live in food deserts that basically prevent them from access to groceries they can purchase and cook.

[–] psx_crab@lemmy.zip 1 points 3 hours ago

It's actually a problem that people usually doesn't prepare food tried to, and have to spend an hour on everything to make mediocre food, to the point that there's thousands of video teaching how to preo food quickly. Internet Shaquille's video are basically made to combat that.

[–] mctoasterson@reddthat.com 34 points 6 hours ago (1 children)

My house is literally a 3 minute walk from a McDonalds and I don't eat there at any price. Use AI to model that, fuckers.

[–] wesker@lemmy.sdf.org 12 points 5 hours ago* (last edited 5 hours ago) (1 children)

HEY AI! Model my dick and my balls!

[–] lemmyng@lemmy.world 5 points 3 hours ago (1 children)

If you have any spicy pictures of yourself online, it likely already has.

[–] horn_e4_beaver@discuss.tchncs.de 2 points 45 minutes ago

Excellent, I am part way uploaded into the matrix.

[–] spaghettiwestern@sh.itjust.works 74 points 7 hours ago (2 children)

Yet another reason to avoid McDonald's, as if the lousy food wasn't enough.

[–] db2@lemmy.world 26 points 7 hours ago

Millions given to trump plus the ridiculous free pr bullshit they gave him should be enough to turn anyone with two brain cells to rub together away.

[–] Maeve@kbin.earth 13 points 7 hours ago

Food like product

[–] bdot@lemmy.world 4 points 4 hours ago

McDoubled in price

[–] PattyMcB@lemmy.world 9 points 5 hours ago

I'm pretty sure they've always done this, they're just using different tools to determine the prices.

[–] jeena@piefed.jeena.net 18 points 7 hours ago (1 children)

I mean this is the obvious use case for AI, you know they have those digital price tags in supermarkets it's perfect for this to combine with AI so depending who is looking at this price tag it changes, but in a way so you don't see it changing. I'm not saying it's already implemented but it's the obvious thing to do.

Online it's already much easier to do because you're logged in to Amazon with your purchase history, etc. and you are the only one looking at the price tag, so no real need for AI there, but in a physical shop it will also be introduced, just like McDonald is 'pioneering' here.

They should never released Black Mirror, too many dystopian ideas there.

[–] mcv@lemmy.zip 1 points 2 hours ago

Online, search in an incognito window using a VPN. Firefox has a builtin VPN toggle these days. Then, only once you found what you're looking for, login and buy it. And bail if they change the price.

And just don't buy from Amazon.

[–] Almacca@aussie.zone 5 points 5 hours ago* (last edited 5 hours ago)

My 'willingness to pay' for McDonald's is pretty low at the best of times. This certainly won't raise it. It's already overpriced for what you get.

load more comments
view more: next ›