The next time you order a Chalupa at Taco Bell, it may not be a human on the other end of the loudspeaker. Bloomberg reports that the Mexican-themed fast-food chain is introducing artificial intelligence at hundreds of its drive-thrus across the US by the end of 2024, after testing the technology for about two years in 100 or so restaurants in 13 states. It's not clear how many of Taco Bell's 7,400 American stores will soon have an AI system.
The move "is designed to enhance back-of-house operations for team members and elevate the order experience for consumers," per a release, with benefits to include "easing task load for team members, improving order accuracy, providing a consistent, friendly experience, and reducing wait times." Lawrence Kim, the chief innovation officer at parent company Yum Brands, says they're "integrating digital and technology into all aspects of our business with exciting new capabilities, and AI is a core piece of that strategy."
Taco Bell isn't the only fast-food giant to implement AI—Wendy's and White Castle are two others that are playing around with the technology—but Taco Bell's plans "are the most ambitious to date," per CNBC. KFC, another Yum Brands chain, is also experimenting with AI in a handful of restaurants in Australia. McDonald's, meanwhile, recently ended a multiyear test-drive of the tech in drive-thrus, using IBM as a vendor, though "customers had reported order errors when using the system," per Bloomberg. (More Taco Bell stories.)
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