Taco Bell is rolling out AI ordering in hundreds of drive-thrus. Here's how it works

The next time you hit the Taco Bell drive-thru, an AI chatbot might take your order.

In a statement released yesterday, Yum! Brands said it plans to roll out voice AI technology to hundreds of restaurants across the US (there are currently more than 7,400 Taco Bell locations in the country). The technology is already in use in more than 100 Taco Bell drive-thrus in 13 states.

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The benefits, Yum! Brands says, include better order accuracy, providing a consistent experience, easing task load for team members, and reducing overall wait times for customers. When employees don’t have to worry about taking orders, they’re free to focus on other tasks like pouring drinks and packing bags.

AI ordering is nothing new in the fast food world, having crept into a number of restaurants over the past years, including McDonald’s.

For customers, the process is the same. When you pull up to the drive-thru, a robotic-sounding voice will ask for your order. As you go, a screen shows your order to make sure everything is accurate. The system then relays your order to employees just as it would if you had talked to a live person.

I’ve personally encountered the tech at Bojangles, a North Carolina-based chicken and biscuits chain. It was a little jarring at first, but now I make that specific location my first choice because I found the ordering process to be significantly faster and more accurate, especially if I’m requesting modifications to items.

Of course, despite the convenience, you have to wonder if companies will ultimately use this technology to justify layoffs. Global sales for McDonald’s are down right now, and while the company did end its recent AI ordering test, it did say it believes AI ordering is the future.

Yum! Brands, which is also the parent company of KFC, Pizza Hut, and The Habit Burger Grill, said it wants to introduce the technology to its other restaurants around the globe.