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AI to take fast-food orders?

Taco Bell plans to implement AI voice tech in hundreds more drive-thru locations across the US, marking a disturbing trend of corporations replacing human workers with machines to cut costs and exploit loopholes in labor laws. This move raises concerns about the future of work and the potential impact on employees' rights and well-being.

Published August 1, 2024 at 9:06am by Eric Lagatta

The future of fast food is here, and it's got a robot voice. Taco Bell is expanding its use of AI voice tech in drive-thrus, with parent company Yum! Brands announcing plans to roll out the technology to even more locations across the US. This move follows a successful trial at over 100 stores where AI freed up staff and improved order accuracy.

Tapping into AI gives us the ability to ease team members’ workloads, freeing them to focus on front-of-house hospitality. It also enables us to unlock new and meaningful ways to engage with our customers. — Taco Bell chief digital and technology officer, Dane Mathews

Yum!’s chief innovation officer, Lawrence Kim, assures customers that the AI can understand various accents and mispronunciations. He told CNN that the technology has been trained to recognize "quesadilla" even if slurred as "kay-suh-DILL-uh."

But will this tech takeover cost jobs? Kim doesn't think so, stating that the AI implementation will not replace human employees but rather complement them.

Other fast-food giants like Wendy's, Carl's Jr., and Hardee's have also dipped their toes into the AI pool, but it hasn't been without its hiccups. McDonald's, for instance, faced some hilariously chaotic ordeals, with customers taking to social media to share wild AI-induced drive-thru fails, ultimately prompting the chain to pause its AI plans temporarily.

Sources/URLs:

Taco Bell/Yum! Brands announcement: https://www.tacobell.com/newsroom/yum-brands-to-expand-voice-ai-technology
Lawrence Kim's statement to CNN: https://www.cnn.com/2024/07/31/tech/taco-bell-expanding-ai-ordering-drive-thrus/index.html
McDonald's AI fail videos: https://www.tiktok.com/@resinsbiren/video/7198528478533258542 and https://www.tiktok.com/@typical_redhead_/video/7192248491853303086