this post was submitted on 30 Sep 2026
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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.

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[–] GreenBeard@lemmy.ca 26 points 4 days 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 12 points 4 days ago (5 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 12 points 4 days 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.

[–] lemmyng@lemmy.world 9 points 4 days ago (1 children)

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.

[–] GreenBeard@lemmy.ca 3 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago)

This guy gets it. There's legitimately people who couldn't get the food, don't have the facilities to prepare it in their shoebox apartment, don't have the skills to prepare it, have next to nothing for food storage capacity, and/or are on too much of a time crunch to actually prep their own food.

Does that describe everyone? No. Do they exist? Absolutely, and sadly more common than people realize. I'm extremely blessed to have a comfortable suburban house and all the access in the world to the resources I need, but I came up in less favourable circumstances and have old acquaintances who are still there. A grocery store was hard enough to get to it may as well have been on the moon for all the time and transportation I had to get there, my access to tools and appliances to cook were effectively non-existent and the fridge and freezer I had access to couldn't hold a full week of food to begin with. Living on convenience store taquitos and fast food wasn't a choice, it was that or starve, and you ate what was open when you had time.

[–] ArmoredThirteen@lemmy.zip 8 points 4 days 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 6 points 4 days ago

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

[–] SaharaMaleikuhm@feddit.org -2 points 4 days ago

Sad miserable losers

[–] psx_crab@lemmy.zip 4 points 4 days 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.

[–] CrazyLikeGollum@lemmy.world 3 points 3 days ago

For where I live, the last time I looked into this (in 2024), if you wanted to make a burger with the same amount of meat and toppings as a basic mcdouble, you're looking at spending almost $50 upfront for ingredients (meat, bun, cheese, onion, and ketchup) and even by weight you're barely breaking even.