Taco Bell is committed to using artificial intelligence to take drive-thru orders, even as some of its rivals are moving away from the technology.
Yum Brands, the parent company of the Mexican fast-food chain, said on Wednesday it will expand its voice AI technology to “hundreds” of stores across the country by the end of the year.
Taco Bell, which operates 7,400 stores across the United States, has already implemented AI in more than 100 locations across 13 states, and the parent company says the results have been more efficient and faster service, improved order accuracy, shorter wait times, and increased profits.
“Yum Brands is integrating digital and technology into every aspect of our business with exciting new capabilities, and AI is at the core of that strategy,” said Lawrence Kim, chief innovation officer, Yum Brands. He said in a statement.
“After more than two years of fine-tuning and testing our Drive-Thru Voice AI technology, we’re confident it will be effective in optimizing operations and improving customer satisfaction.”
The Louisville, Kentucky-based fast-food conglomerate said increased reliance on AI will allow the chain’s employees to focus on other tasks.
Yum, which also owns Pizza Hut and KFC, is also testing voice AI in five KFC restaurants in Australia and says it has received positive feedback about its use so far.
Taco Bell’s expansion comes shortly after McDonald’s this week halted a pilot program of AI-powered automated drive-thrus at more than 100 restaurants after a series of customer complaints about receiving the wrong items.
Notable mistakes included accidentally adding nine cups of sweet tea to an order and unexpected bacon in an ice cream cone.
One TikTok user showed how the AI system accidentally added over 20 McNugget meals, totaling about $222.
The Chicago-based fast-food giant launched the program in collaboration with IBM two years ago and tested it in select franchise locations.
However, franchisees were informed in an email that the initiative would end on July 26, but that a revised AI system may return in the future.
“While we have seen success to date, we feel there is an opportunity to explore voice ordering solutions more broadly,” Mason Smoot, McDonald’s U.S. chief restaurant officer, said in a memo obtained by Restaurant Business magazine.
IBM said it will continue to work with McDonald’s on a variety of other projects while the company reevaluates its plans for automated order-taking.
Several other fast-food franchises, including Checkers, Carl’s Jr., Wendy’s and Domino’s, are also testing or fully implementing AI technology.
Starbucks is using AI to give customers tailored product recommendations, and KFC is experimenting with facial recognition AI software to predict customer orders in some of its stores in China.
