The Nerd Stash
Illinois Restaurant Worker Creeped Out by AI Calling for Reservations, ‘When AI…
An Illinois woman was thrown off-guard when she received a restaurant reservation call from a Google AI assistant.
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Restaurant Worker's Encounter with Google AI Assistant for Reservation Sparks Debate on Human-like Tech
Restaurant Employee Encounters Google AI Assistant for Reservation, Raises Questions on AI Integration A recent incident at a local restaurant has brought the capabilities and perceived shortcomings of artificial intelligence into the spotlight. Mairead, an employee at an unnamed restaurant, shared her experience of receiving a phone call from a Google AI assistant attempting to book a table. According to Mairead, the AI assistant called to make a reservation for "Mary" and three other guests for 5 PM the following day. While the AI successfully conveyed the necessary information, Mairead expressed her discomfort with the interaction. "This is a Google AI assistant. This call may be recorded for quality," the AI stated at the beginning of the call. A key point of contention for Mairead was the AI's use of filler words. "The 'um' perturbed me," she stated in her video. "Why are we adding 'ums' to AI? Like, that is weird. You're trying to make it more human, and I don't like it. I don't like it one bit." The incident has sparked a discussion online regarding the increasing integration of AI into everyday services. Commenters on Mairead's video echoed her sentiments, with many expressing a preference for human interaction or online reservation systems like Open Table. One user commented, "Oh, I would have hung up as soon as it said it was AI," while another added, "It's a fabulous accessibility tool but for everybody else it's just a waste of time. the AI conversations take forever and they aren't accurate." The event highlights the ongoing debate about the balance between technological advancement and human preference in customer service.
