May 23, 2026 at 1:21 am

A Restaurant Veteran of 25 Years Now Runs Every Decision Through ChatGPT—While Sidelining His Skilled Staff

by Benjamin Cottrell

man using chatgpt on his computer

Pexels

AI has weaseled its way into every corner of the workplace, but most people draw a line somewhere. This restaurant owner, however, went all in.

Despite having 25 years of industry experience, he started running every menu, every business problem, and every simple searchable question through ChatGPT — while simultaneously refusing to use the actually human writer and art degree holder already on his payroll.

His staff has been watching this unfold for a month and a half and has arrived at a diagnosis: AI psychosis.

Read on for the full story.

Anyone else’s boss obsessed with AI?

I have been working under this owner for a month and a half, and I don’t think I’ve seen him have an original thought once.

He’s in his late 50s.

Every single menu he’s “made,” every issue he’s come across, every simple searchable answer goes through ChatGPT.

Even as someone with considerable experiences, he seems content to outsource his every thought to AI.

25 years in this industry and is using AI prompts to make cocktail menus?

I’m convinced this is AI psychosis.

The boss even prefers AI’s help to that of an actual, capable human.

The kicker is, one of the other managers has an art degree and is a writer, and has offered ad nauseum to help with menus and visuals.

The owner refuses to let them help.

I’m sure if this guy could use AI to cook food and make cocktails he would.

Now this is just crazy talk.

If you enjoyed this story, check out this post about a job-hunter who was shocked when the recruiting company told them too turn down a job because the salary was too low.

What did Reddit have to say?

The promise of AI seems to only benefit a select few.

Screenshot 2026 05 14 at 3.15.45 PM A Restaurant Veteran of 25 Years Now Runs Every Decision Through ChatGPT—While Sidelining His Skilled Staff

Maybe some people are only using the technology out of sheer desperation.

Screenshot 2026 05 14 at 3.16.30 PM A Restaurant Veteran of 25 Years Now Runs Every Decision Through ChatGPT—While Sidelining His Skilled Staff

This user has some strong words for bosses like this.

Screenshot 2026 05 14 at 3.17.58 PM A Restaurant Veteran of 25 Years Now Runs Every Decision Through ChatGPT—While Sidelining His Skilled Staff

There’s literally a writer with an art degree sitting in that building right now, watching her offers to help get turned down while her boss copy-pastes AI prompts into a cocktail menu.

Everything is technically functioning, but just without a single original thought from the person who’s supposed to be running the place.

At some point, being a veteran of the industry won’t save him from his atrophying skillset he seems entirely too comfortable outsourcing to a machine.

Twenty-five years of experience is a terrible thing to waste on a chatbot.

Benjamin Cottrell | Assistant Editor, Internet Culture

Benjamin Cottrell is an Assistant Editor and contributing writer at TwistedSifter, specializing in internet culture, viral social dynamics, and the moral complexities of online communities. He brings a highly analytical, editorial voice to his reporting on workplace conflicts, malicious compliance, and interpersonal drama, with a specific focus on nuanced stories that lack an obvious villain.

As a published author of rhetorical criticism, Benjamin leverages his academic background in human communication to dissect and elevate viral social media threads. Instead of simply summarizing events, he provides readers with balanced, deep-dive commentary into why the internet reacts the way it does. In addition to his cultural reporting, he is an experienced fine art photography essayist and video game reviewer.

When he isn’t analyzing the latest viral debates, Benjamin is usually chipping away at his extensive video game backlog, hunting down the best new restaurants, or out exploring the city with a camera in hand.

Connect with Benjamin on Instagram and read more of his essays on Substack.