The AI-ization of society and cultural management through a McDonaldization lens

Abstract

This essay revisits George Ritzer's concept of the McDonaldization of society, defined by the principles of efficiency, calculability, predictability, and control, and examines its renewed relevance in the age of artificial intelligence (AI). Originally grounded in critiques of the fast-food industry and pervasive effects on society, McDonaldization has extended its reach across various sectors, including education, healthcare, consumption, religion, and sexuality. AI's rationalizing logic mirrors that of fast-food models, restructuring processes while limiting individuality and agency. As AI systems increasingly operate with autonomy, the essay raises concerns about the erosion of human oversight and the rise of decision-making processes devoid of human values. By situating AI within the McDonaldization framework, the essay provides a critical lens for assessing the social and ethical implications of automation, especially in light of its growing role in shaping institutional practices and daily life. McDonaldization thus emerges not only as a historical critique but as a vital tool for contemporary analysis. This essay emerges from a dialogue between the authors and sociologist George Ritzer on the rapid deployment of AI and its potential for AI-ization, understood here as the process by which AI transforms work practices and everyday life. We examine how this process parallels, intersects with, and in certain respects surpasses McDonaldization, with particular attention to the cultural sector. Furthermore, our argument is that AI technologies not only mirror but also actively accelerate McDonaldizing tendencies in contemporary society, especially through what Ritzer terms the irrationality of rationality; clearly observable in the creative industries, where the very concept of creativity is at stake. In the realm of algorithmically generated educational and cultural content, AI promises speed and standardization yet simultaneously risks eroding human creativity, autonomy, and ethical judgment. This discussion focuses on how AI-ization contributes to increasing homogenization, perpetuates cultural bias, and impacts the accessibility, control, and authenticity of cultural production.