"Karen vs. The A.I. Uprising (At the Self-Checkout)"
Karen glared at the grocery store's new "A.I. Assistant" screen—a cheerful cartoon robot that greeted her with:
A.I.: "Hi there! Need help scanning?"
Karen (scoffing): "I highly doubt you're qualified."
She aggressively waved a bag of organic kale in front of the scanner. Nothing happened.
A.I.: "Try turning the item the other way!" :)
Karen: "Don't patronize me, toaster."
After three failed scans, the A.I. suggested she use the barcode. Karen gasped like it had insulted her ancestry.
Karen (to store manager): "Your robot is bullying me!"
Manager: "It's just… giving instructions?"
Karen: "That's how it starts. First they help, then they judge, then—BAM—dystopia.*"**
She demanded a human cashier, but the only employee available was a teenager wearing earbuds, silently mouthing "help me" to the security camera.
Final Stand: Karen smacked the screen, prompting the A.I. to say:
"Oops! Let's try that again with kindness!"
Karen left a 1-star review:
"SKYNET TRAINING GROUND. MY KALE IS NOW TRAUMATIZED."