McDonald’s, the world’s largest fast-food chain, is changing its tune on artificial intelligence (AI) just a few years after the chain began a global AI partnership with IBM. The news follows a string of embarrassing viral failures with the technology. After using AI to take people’s orders at drive-thru kiosks across 100 restaurants, McDonald’s has said the technology will now be entirely removed from drive-thrus after several issues emerged with the chain’s use of AI. Not Going As Planned Wikipedia The use of AI at drive-thrus was designed to improve McDonald’s efficiency – minimizing the length of time between customers…
Author: Tom Williams
212 years ago the War of 1812 began when the US declared war on Britain. Reasons for the war included Britain’s interference with US trade and the desire of America to expand settlements into Spanish, British and Indian territory. Two and a half years into the war peace terms were agreed on via the Treaty of Ghent and the war officially ended in February 1815. Both the US and UK racked up over 10,000 deaths over the course of the war. The Battle of Waterloo Wikipedia On 18 June 1815, the Battle of Waterloo took place and handed French leader…
Following the spread of bird flu throughout the US over recent months, new fears have arisen that cats and dogs could also be at risk. According to the New York Times, “Scientists have long known that cats are vulnerable to being infected.” Now, a recent uptick in bird flu cases among the species is causing a fresh wave of concern – as are cases in dogs. What is Bird Flu? Wikipedia Bird flu, officially known as avian influenza (AI), is a viral disease typically found in birds. In 2020, a new version of the virus known as H5N1 was identified…
Walmart, the world’s largest retailer, has said it will cut hundreds of jobs in its US corporate department and has called for remote workers to return in-person. The latest announcement from Walmart is part of a restructuring plan that the company’s Chief People Officer (CPO) says will allow the workforce to “move even faster” on innovation and collaboration. Walmart Issues Memo Anna Shvets/Pexels Last month, NPR reported that Walmart had issued a company-wide memo announcing significant layoffs at the retailer’s campus offices over the following month. The announcement from the popular retailer will impact hundreds of corporate positions within the…
Amidst rising concerns about the impact of social media exposure on young people, a new proposal has been suggested that would see social media face warnings similar to those put on tobacco products. In an article for the New York Times, US Surgeon General Vivek H. Murthy has argued that all social media apps should come with a label warning of their risks – similar to those imposed on cigarettes and other tobacco products. The Power of Labels Josh Withers/Unsplash Warning labels were added to packets of cigarettes in 1965 after a report by then-Surgeon General Luther L. Terry linking…
One of California’s most popular fast food chains – with nearly 300 locations in the Golden State – has begun to increase prices in response to recent statewide legislation. In-N-Out Burger, the fast food chain headquartered in Irvine, California, has seen prices rise in a number of locations following higher business costs owing to increases in the minimum wage for fast food workers. What Items Have Become More Expensive? Ashley Green/Unsplash Price increases of up to $0.50 have been recorded for the Double-Double burger, fries, and drink combo since April 1st. In Los Angeles County, the combo now costs $11.44,…
A woman who went viral on social media in 2021 after being bound and gagged with duct tape on an airplane is facing a new lawsuit. 34-year-old Heather Wells is facing a $81,950 suit nearly three years after her fateful flight from Dallas to Charlotte. The Violent Incident Cory W. Watts/Flickr On July 6, 2021, Wells began biting and spitting at staff and passengers alike while on a two-to-three-hour flight across the South. Wells was reported to have hit a flight attendant on the head, yelled profanities, and attempted to open an aircraft door mid-flight. Passenger “Wanted Out” of Plane…
After a recent recall of Sun Noodle’s instant noodles, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has updated the risk level for the product. This recall is now deemed a Class I recall, which is only issued if there is a “reasonable probability” that eating this product could “cause serious adverse health consequences or death.” An Undisclosed Ingredient Louis Hansel/Unsplash The FDA’s Class I update follows Sun Noodle recalling many of their instant noodle products in May. Sun Noodle voluntarily recalled these products because of the undeclared presence of eggs. Egg is a major allergen and its presence must be…
A California beach has topped a most-polluted list after researchers sampled water from beaches across the US, Vancouver, Puerto Rico, and Costa Rica. Researchers at the Surfrider Foundation took samples from beaches across the test countries and territory. They found that California was home to three of the US’s most polluted beaches. What Pollution Researchers Found U.S. Department of Agriculture/RawPixel Researchers at the Surfrider Foundation, a non-profit environmentalist group, collected 9,538 water samples from 567 sites. The researchers at the Foundation found that nearly two-thirds of the beaches tested had at least one sample that recorded unsafe bacteria levels. Where…
A grocery store giant with over 2,700 stores in the United States is set to give away a whopping 45,000 pints of ice cream this Summer. The massive giveaway will take place on the Summer Solstice (June 20th) courtesy of Kroger, but will only be available in certain parts of America. Why 45,000 Pints Are Being Given Away mike fabio/Flickr If you’re wondering why Kroeger chose to give away exactly 45,000 pints of ice cream, you may be interested to know that the company didn’t stumble upon that number randomly. Kroger said they wanted to give away 50 pints of…