Matthew Reinbold
Stories & CraftSerial fiction · 7 parts · Complete

General American

When corporate AI begins translating workers into a single, “acceptable” voice for the drive-thru, a fast-food crew finds themselves navigating the uneasy space between protection and erasure. General American is about community under pressure, and the small, deliberate choices that allow people to care for one another inside systems that do not.

Read the story

7 parts / In order
  1. Part 1
  2. Part 2
  3. Part 3
  4. Part 4
  5. Part 5
  6. Part 6
  7. Part 7

Behind the story

Who’s hungry?

I swear that I started mulling the idea for a ‘AI drive-through attendant’ before they became regular news items. However, if you’d like to explore more of what’s coming to a fast food restaurant near you:

From the original serialization

I’ve spent years writing about the intersection of technology, culture, and policy. When social media is increasingly used to create events, rather than report on them, I find that work increasingly relevant.

It is one thing to write an essay here or a newsletter there. Given the potential harms, utilizing adding additional forms, like narrative, seems warranted. General American is a seven-part short story about a fast foot crew suddenly confronted with a corporate AI that threatens their erasure.