• by Tanya Gazdik , August 1, 2024

Never mind those pesky humans who can’t tell the difference between “beef” and “bean,” Taco Bell is going to give the robots a chance to get your order right. 

Hundreds of U.S. Taco Bell locations will use artificial intelligence in drive-thru lanes by the end of 2024. Yum Brands hopes to roll out voice AI in its drive-thru lanes globally in the future but promises it will not replace human jobs.

Are customers who struggle to correctly pronounce some of the items on Taco Bell's menu destined to receive the wrong food? Yum!’s chief innovation officer Lawrence Kim told CNN that the AI model has been trained to understand various accents and pronunciations from customers -- even if they pronounce quesadilla like “kay-suh-DILL-uh.” 

Not all restaurants who have experimented with the technology have deemed it a success.

“At McDonald's, customers have [taken] to social media to share videos of the mishaps they encountered, including an order of nine sweet teas for one woman, and a seemingly endless order of chicken nuggets for another, despite her protests to stop,” according to USA Today. “In June, McDonald's announced that the chain would stop using artificial intelligence to take drive-thru orders by the end of July after struggling to integrate the technology.”

Taco Bell has tested the technology, which is currently in about 100 restaurants in 13 states, for about two years. 

“The chain declined to specify exactly how many of its 7,400 US stores would get the platform,” according to Bloomberg. “Taco Bell is looking to improve accuracy, provide a consistent experience and reduce wait times. Automating order-taking allows workers to focus on other tasks, such as pouring drinks and readying sauce packets.”

Checkers, Carl’s Jr., Wendy’s, and Domino’s have either tested or fully deployed AI technologies.

“Starbucks uses AI for personalized customer recommendations, and KFC is experimenting with AI software in facial recognition in some locations in China to predict customer orders,” according to the New York Post.