“Making me go insane”: McDonald’s job seeker asks one question. Then the AI chatbot goes haywire
One applicant shared their frustrating experience with the McDonald's AI hiring chatbot on Reddit. The chatbot kept getting stuck in a loop when the applicant tried to apply to a second location. The applicant expressed confusion as the chatbot seemed unable to understand the request. The AI chatbot's limitations became apparent as it struggled to provide a solution. Despite claims of increased efficiency, the system's shortcomings highlight challenges with AI-driven hiring processes.
McDonald's AI Hiring Process Frustrates Job Applicant
The McDonald's hiring process is causing a whole new headache for at least one applicant, thanks to AI. All Redditor u/calebmcw wanted to do was apply to two different local McDonald's. In order to do that, he had to chat with McHire, the company's AI assistant, and answer some pre-screening questions. Unfortunately, that process turned out not to be quite as simple as it sounded.
McDonald's AI hiring chatbot gets stuck in a loop. U/calebmcw shared four screenshots of his conversation to r/mildlyinfuriating, showing how the AI chatbot kept going in circles every time he mentioned that he wanted to apply to a second location. It confirmed that he could do so. It told him where to go for more information. But as soon as he pointed out the link ultimately just brought him back to the conversation he was already having, the chatbot seemed to have no idea how to proceed.
"It says chat with you to apply," he wrote at one point, which led to McHire launching into something about how "Submitting an application has never been easier!" without actually allowing him to do so. At another point, u/calebmcw wrote, "It's taking me right back to this chat to chat with you i dont understand what you arent understanding," to which the chatbot simply replied, "That's my name! How can I assist you?"
AI Efficiency Concerns
As much as tech bros like to wail about how incredible AI is, ultimately its limitations are vast. Bots like McHire are Large Language Models, which are essentially just very advanced predictive text, stressing the artificial in artificial intelligence. They can use statistics to decide what to write next, but they can't actually understand anything. While that's good for delaying any potential sci-fi-esque AI takeover of society, it's less great when we consider how many companies are starting to rely on AI first, with humans as backup.
Articles have previously gone out praising McDonald's for increasing efficiency by using AI to hire new employees. HRD Connect reported that it reduced the time-to-hire by almost 65% in the UK and Ireland, and saw a 20% jump in the number of candidates that made it all the way through the process.
This system, built from Paradox AI, has been used as the company since 2019, although it has presumably gone through changes over the years. In 2024, it was the subject of Reddit's derision after forcing Olive Garden applicants to answer bizarre questions as part of a personality test.
Even though these systems are allegedly helping save time on the corporate side, it certainly makes you wonder if they're just shifting the amount of time wasted to the applicant side of things. Not that it likely matters; McDonald's has made it clear they're doing a major AI push throughout their restaurants. In some ways, it may genuinely be beneficial for overworked employees, at least those who still have a job after companies find new ways to maximize profits and minimize costs. Of course, that's assuming they can figure out how to get the AI to offer them an application in the first place.