Taco Bell plans to expand its use of voice AI technology by the end of this year. The parent company of Taco Bell, Yum Brands, said on Wednesday that the AI will be rolled out in hundreds of additional drive-thru locations and is currently in use in around 100 Taco Bell locations in 13 states.
The addition has been under trial and development for the last two years. According to Yum Brands, the use of the AI system has increased order accuracy, decreased waiting time, and lessened the burden of work for employees.
Voice AI rollout aligns with fast-food industry trends
The integration of AI has also led to more profits within the company as well as the operators of the technology, according to company filing. The positive results are due to the two years of research and development together with testing of the AI in a drive-thru environment.
“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.”
Yum Brands Chief Innovation Officer, Lawrence Kim
Taco Bell is an American chain of fast food restaurants that has outlets in about 7,400 locations in the United States. This step in developing voice AI technology is in line with the current trends of technological advancement in the fast-food industry. Yum Brands launched its voice AI pilot in May and has since increased it from five Taco Bell stores to 30 in California. At the moment, more than a hundred Taco Bell outlets in the United States are using this technology.
Digital sales skyrocket for Yum Brands
Yum Brands stated that digital sales came close to $30 billion last year, and more than half of this sum was made through digital platforms by the beginning of 2024. The company also stated that its digital business has more than doubled since the year 2019. This rapid growth shows that digital technologies are gaining prominence in the fast-food sector.
On the other hand, McDonald’s, Taco Bell’s competitor, encountered some issues with the use of AI in ordering. McDonald’s had been trialing a similar technology at over 100 drive-thru restaurants in the US but stopped the process due to complaints from the customers. One such case was when an AI cashier made an error by adding many sweet teas to an order, and the incident caused a stir on social media platforms.
Besides the expansion of Taco Bell in the United States, Yum Brands is also looking into the application of AI in other regions. KFC, another Yum Brands subsidiary, is already experimenting with the technology in five outlets in Australia. Additionally, Yum Brands is expected to release its Q2 result on Tuesday this week, and this could reveal more about the performance of the company and its strategic plans concerning the adoption of Artificial Intelligence.
