AI technology to take over Taco Bell drive-thrus
Despite automation fears, the company assures that AI will not replace human jobs but will support employees in prioritising other tasks.
Taco Bell is expanding AI voice technology in its drive-thrus to hundreds of US locations by the end of this year, according to parent company Yum! Brands. Customers at these locations may soon interact with a computer instead of a human when placing their orders, a move aimed at freeing up employees for other tasks and improving sales.
The expansion follows Taco Bell’s successful testing of AI at 100 locations across 13 states, which reportedly led to greater order accuracy, happier employees, and shorter wait times. This contrasts McDonald’s, which recently abandoned similar AI technology after customer complaints about incorrect orders.
‘Yum! Brands’ chief innovation officer, Lawrence Kim, expressed confidence in their approach, which involved two years of testing and improvements. Kim assured that AI would not replace human jobs but enhance the work experience by allowing employees to focus on priority tasks. He also highlighted the technology’s potential for broader applications across other Yum! Brands chains, including Pizza Hut, KFC, and The Habit Burger Grill.
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