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Welcome to The Prompt by Kuro House, your daily AI update. Today, we’re diving into some fascinating developments from the world of artificial intelligence and tech. From AI chatbots at fast-food drive-thrus to Apple’s Siri overhaul, there’s a lot to unpack.
First up, AI is shaking up the fast-food industry, but not without some growing pains. Emma Roth at The Verge reports that McDonald’s pioneered AI chatbots at their drive-thrus back in 2021, starting with just ten locations in Chicago. Since then, many chains like Wendy’s, Taco Bell, and Checkers have jumped on board, aiming to speed up orders and reduce employee workload. Wendy’s chatbot, trained on franchise-specific lingo, got orders right 86 percent of the time after launch. But customers aren’t exactly thrilled — a 2025 YouGov survey found 55 percent prefer humans to take their orders, and Taco Bell is even reevaluating its AI drive-thru after social media backlash. Meanwhile, chains are exploring subtler AI uses, like Burger King’s AI assistant helping employees with food prep and Taco Bell’s AI-driven dynamic menu boards.
Apple is also gearing up for a major AI moment with a revamped Siri. According to TechCrunch, Apple plans to launch a standalone Siri app powered by Google Gemini that offers a chatbot experience similar to ChatGPT. Privacy is front and center in this update, with features that could automatically delete conversations after 30 days or a year, or keep them indefinitely, giving users more control over their data. Apple is positioning itself as the privacy-friendly alternative in AI, though some speculate this might also mask Siri’s current limitations compared to competitors.
Over at the courtroom, the Elon Musk versus OpenAI trial is wrapping up with trust in the spotlight. TechCrunch’s coverage highlights that jurors are now deciding if OpenAI acted improperly as it shifted toward a more profit-driven model. A key theme has been whether OpenAI CEO Sam Altman is trustworthy, especially after being grilled about his congressional testimony regarding his equity stake in the company. Both Musk and Altman have faced scrutiny over truthfulness, but their courtroom demeanors couldn’t be more different — Musk combative, Altman affable and apologetic. This trial isn’t just about individuals, but about trust in AI companies as a whole, with many questions still unanswered behind closed doors.
Commencement speeches in 2026 are revealing an unexpected cultural moment around AI. TechCrunch reports that some graduation audiences are booing when speakers mention artificial intelligence as the next industrial revolution. At the University of Central Florida, a speaker’s AI remarks were met with loud boos, and at the University of Arizona, former Google CEO Eric Schmidt faced similar reactions. This pushback reflects a broader skepticism and anxiety among young people about AI’s impact on jobs and the future. Still, some speakers like Nvidia’s Jensen Huang at Carnegie Mellon received no such resistance, showing that attitudes vary widely.
And finally, a quick look at the MacBook Neo as a gaming machine. The Verge’s Digital Foundry ran benchmarks on this $600 laptop and found it underwhelming for gaming. Playable frame rates of around 30 FPS were possible for less demanding games like Control and Death Stranding, but more intense titles like Cyberpunk 2077 wouldn’t run properly. Gamers looking for serious performance might want to look elsewhere, but for casual play, it could suffice.
That’s a wrap for today’s edition of The Prompt. AI continues to weave itself into our daily lives, sometimes clumsily, sometimes with promise. We’ll keep watching how these stories unfold and what they mean for the future of technology and trust. Thanks for listening, and we’ll catch you next time.
