If you’ve been through a fast-food line recently, you know AI-powered ordering systems are becoming the norm, whether we like it or not. While these computers are supposed to offer a benefit by eliminating difficult human employees, what happens when the computer itself develops a bit of an attitude?
The newest viral clip involving AI drive-thrus shows a Popeyes robot seemingly throwing a tantrum after a customer dared to decline an apple pie. TikTok user Jennifer (@00.j3n) captured the incident in a video that quickly racked up over 184,000 views. Her order was totally standard. She asked for her items, the machine confirmed them, and it occasionally made suggestions, like pairing an item with Cajun fries. Everything seemed perfectly fine until the end of the transaction.
After confirming the main order, the robot decided to go for the hard sell, asking Jennifer, “Got any room for apple pie?” Jennifer gave a straightforward answer: “Nope.” What followed was a prolonged, slightly awkward silence. When Jennifer reiterated her “No,” the AI clearly decided the conversation was over. It tersely replied, “Please show your coupon at the window.” You could even hear the AI continuing to talk in the background as the customer drove away, which is just a little eerie.
This latest incident highlights the rough rollout the industry is experiencing
Commenters immediately jumped on the exchange, claiming the robot definitely had a chip on its shoulder. One user perfectly summed up the feeling, writing, “It got offended you didn’t want apple pie.” Another user joked, “AI: this human keep going off script!” Jennifer herself clarified in the comments that she felt the AI was perfectly cordial, but she did agree that “he was done with the convo after the ‘no’” on the apple pie.
So, how do customers really feel about talking to a machine instead of a person? A 2025 YouGov survey found that a massive 55% of respondents still prefer ordering from a human, while only 4% said they actually prefer an AI chatbot. The top concern for those who prefer not to use the AI is the potential for errors, cited by 51% of respondents. Around half of the people surveyed also expressed disappointment over the lack of human interaction, and 38% found the AI annoying.
Despite the widespread hesitation, there are some signs of hope for the technology. Those who have actually interacted with AI drive-thrus show reduced concerns about some of these issues. This suggests that as the systems become more common and hopefully snappier, customer opinions might actually change. It has already been the case for AI-powered doorbells.
Even in Jennifer’s comment section, many users admitted they preferred the AI experience to dealing with people. One commenter wrote that they’d “probably go to Popeyes more bc of this.” Another fan added, “Honestly this is the first video of a drive thru AI that I’ve seen that actually responds semi-normally instead of taking 6-8 business days to reply when you say something.”
Still, others aren’t sold on the idea of dealing with a sassy robot when they’re in a hurry. As one user pointed out, “Imagine you’re almost late to work and you gotta order from a robot.” It’s a valid point. We’ll just have to wait and see if these AI systems can learn to handle rejection without throwing a digital fit. At least, it’s not feeding into your delusion in this case.
Published: Jan 5, 2026 12:30 pm