Viral Reddit post critical of food delivery apps may have been AI-generated

"A viral Reddit post purportedly from an employee of a "major food delivery app" may actually be an AI-generated hoax, The Verge reports. The post itself, and an image of an employee ID card the poster, u/trowaway_whistleblow, shared with The Verge, where both flagged as being likely AI-generated when run through online AI detectors and AI assistants like Gemini and Claude."

"The post includes a series of striking claims about the unnamed food delivery company, like that its "Priority Delivery" option doesn't actually change delivery speeds, that it sorts delivery drivers based on their level of desperation and that it steals tips from drivers. The post doesn't name a specific company, but there's enough real world evidence of driver mistreatment - including misleading pay structures that subsidize driver's base pay with tips - that it sounds true."

"Executives from DoorDash and Uber Eats have both denied the claims in the post. "This is not DoorDash, and I would fire anyone who promoted or tolerated the kind of culture described in this Reddit post," DoorDash CEO Tony Xu wrote on X."

"When The Verge reached the poster over Signal, the employee badge u/trowaway_whistleblow provided also appeared to be AI-generated, and notably featured the text "Uber Eats" on it rather than "Uber." The poster provided similar faulty evidence to Platformer writer Casey Newton. No one is being directly harmed by this particular AI-generated Reddit post (other than maybe the companies training AI models on Reddit data), but if there's anything this whole debacle makes clear, it's that the reputation of food delivery apps remains tarnished, to say the least."

A viral social-media claim purporting to come from an employee of a major food delivery app appears to be AI-generated, with both the text and an employee ID image flagged by online AI detectors and assistants. The claim lists dramatic practices including a misleading "Priority Delivery" option, sorting drivers by desperation, and stealing tips. Executives at DoorDash and Uber Eats denied the allegations, and a provided badge notably read "Uber Eats" rather than "Uber." Faulty supporting evidence was also shared with other reporters. No direct physical harm is evident, but the episode underscores continuing reputational damage to delivery platforms.

Read at Engadget