this post was submitted on 30 Sep 2026
699 points (98.6% liked)

Technology

88517 readers
3854 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
L3s@lemmy.world
enu@lemmy.world
technopagan@lemmy.world
L4s@lemmy.world
L3s@hackingne.ws
699
McDonald's is reportedly using AI to "dynamically" price its burgers (www.engadget.com)
submitted 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago) by spaghettiwestern@sh.itjust.works to c/technology@lemmy.world
199 comments fedilink hide all child comments
 

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.

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[โ€“] rumba@lemmy.zip 2 points 2 days ago (1 children)

After a couple weeks of almost total carb exclusion, you stop craving it. Slightly sweet things taste too sweet. You can try to return to a reasonable carb intake and it lasts right up until you have some social event where you eat a small amout of some nice confection. That's how it works for many people anyway.

[โ€“] CheeseNoodle@lemmy.world 2 points 2 days ago

I've found cutting sugar bit by bit helps, limit it to weekends, cut it out of hot drinks, then limit hot drinks to 1/day in the morning since they tend to have sugar built in. Best method when starting is to remember that its far easier to exercise self control in the shop than it is once the stuff is already in your home. Now sugar is something I can take or leave rather than crave, also made me realize that there are a lot of savory foods with an objectively better taste when you don't have that sugar craving biassing the decision.