Portuguese 
English 
Spanish 
3 min of reading 
0 comments 
A British Entrepreneur Revealed That He Used ChatGPT to Generate False Complaints About McDonald’s, Getting More Than 100 Free Meals Over the Course of Almost a Year.
In a situation worthy of a movie plot, a young Brit found an unusual way to secure free meals at McDonald’s for months. The secret? A bit of creativity, patience, and the help of ChatGPT.
The trick, simple and clever, gained notoriety and left many intrigued by the unexpected power of artificial intelligence.
ChatGPT: More Than a Digital Assistant
Most people see ChatGPT as an assistant to answer questions, create texts, or solve technical problems.
-
Italian researchers have detected what appears to be a second Sphinx buried under the sands of Egypt, and satellite scans reveal a gigantic underground megastructure hidden beneath the Giza Plateau for over 3,000 years.
-
There are 4,223 drums and 1,343 metal boxes concreted with 50-centimeter walls that store the radioactive waste from Cesium-137 in the worst radiological accident in Brazil, just 23 kilometers from Goiânia, with environmental monitoring every three months.
-
Giant Roman treasure found at the bottom of Lake Neuchâtel in Switzerland reveals an advanced trade system, circulation of goods, and armed escort in the Roman Empire about two thousand years ago.
-
He buried 1,200 old tires in the walls to build his own self-sufficient house in the mountains with glass bottles, rainwater, and an integrated greenhouse.
It has been used to develop codes, suggest recipes, and even assist in financial decisions. But this story reveals a completely new use: securing fast food without paying anything.
ChatGPT is programmed to understand and create texts based on specific requests. It can write a formal letter, help draft a resume, or even compose song lyrics.
However, its versatility allowed the creative Brit to discover a way to trick the feedback system of McDonald’s.
The Trick Behind the Free Sandwich at McDonald’s
The plan started with a simple purchase receipt. Anyone who frequents McDonald’s knows that at the end of each receipt, there is a code to access a satisfaction survey.
Typically, filling out this survey yields discount coupons or, in some cases, freebies. Most people ignore this detail, but the Brit saw a unique opportunity.
He used the code to fill out the survey, but with a different approach. Instead of writing the complaints himself, he asked ChatGPT to draft convincing texts about negative experiences, such as poorly made sandwiches or delays in service.
The instruction was clear: “Create a convincing complaint about an below-average sandwich.”
The result was a well-structured narrative, with enough details to seem authentic, but generic enough to fit any situation.
With that, he submitted the false feedback and, a few days later, received compensation coupons. These vouchers were used to secure new free meals, creating an apparently infinite cycle.
The Intelligence of the Plan
To ensure the scheme worked, he made periodic adjustments to the generated texts. If any feedback was rejected, he requested ChatGPT for a different, more elaborate version.
The process was repeated until he achieved success. For months, he managed to accumulate dozens of meals without spending a dime.
The secret to keeping the plan functioning was moderation. He alternated the days he sent complaints and chose different restaurants in the chain to avoid raising suspicions. The tactic was effective, but it didn’t go unnoticed forever.
The End of the Party
After almost a year of continuous use of the trick, McDonald’s began to notice an unusual pattern. The frequent complaints associated with the same customer caught the attention of the local team.
In response, some locations started to closely monitor the feedback system and even placed notices in the restaurants encouraging positive reviews.
The scam only came to light when the man himself shared the story on a popular podcast. He described the entire process with humor, but the confession ended up generating a stir.
The fast-food chain, which until then had not connected the dots, began to investigate the case more seriously. Although he lost access to the vouchers, his creativity left many impressed.
Reflections on the Use of AI
Although it is a curious story, the episode raises questions about the ethical use of artificial intelligence. ChatGPT was designed to assist in everyday tasks, but its ability to create realistic texts can be exploited in unforeseen ways. To what extent can the use of this technology to circumvent systems be considered acceptable?
The situation highlights both human ingenuity and the challenges that arise with technological advancement.
Tools like ChatGPT offer infinite possibilities, but they also require responsibility from those who use them. In this case, the line between creativity and system abuse was clearly crossed.
Seja o primeiro a reagir!