It seems that Taco Bell patrons may have to deal with AI drive-thrus by the end of the year, as the company plans to implement this technology at hundreds of its restaurants.
On Wednesday, Yum Brands announced that it plans to expand the rollout of artificial intelligence technology in the U.S. as part of its global strategy.
In May, executives noted that Taco Bell would expand from the initial five locations where a pilot of voice AI took place to up to 30 restaurants in California. In the U.S. alone, there are already more than 100 Taco Bell restaurants that use voice AI, CNBC reported.
According to Yum Brands, the technology has improved the accuracy of orders, reduced wait times, and decreased employee workloads.
"With over two years of fine-tuning and testing the drive-thru voice AI technology, we're confident in its effectiveness in optimizing operations and enhancing customer satisfaction," said Lawrence Kim, Chief Innovation Officer of Yum Brands.
"Tapping into AI gives us the ability to ease team members' workloads, freeing them to focus on front-of-house hospitality," said Dane Mathews, Chief Digital and Technology Officer of Taco Bell, in a statement, USA Today reported.
"It also enables us to unlock new and meaningful ways to engage with our customers," he added.
This move by Taco Bell shows the company joining its rivals like Wendy's and White Castle in investing in voice AI. While tech companies promise that the technology can speed up service times and reduce labor costs, restaurants are cautious in its implementation, considering both customer and employee satisfaction.
McDonald's, which also adopted AI in its ordering system, announced in June that it would end its trial with Automated Order Taker and look for other vendors.
In Australia, five KFC restaurants are also testing voice AI in drive-thrus, stated Yum Brands.
