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ZDNET’s key takeaways
Fast-food chains are experimenting with AI in drive-thrus.Previous gen AI order-takers failed.AI voice tech is playing a larger role in customer service.
Fast-food restaurants like Taco Bell and McDonald’s tried to integrate AI into their daily operations, but rethought their decisions when customers complained. According to the Wall Street Journal, customers either griped about glitches and delays or the odd nature of the technology — or, in some cases, chose to troll the AI employee by ordering 18,000 cups of water.
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As a result, the two fast-food giants have reconsidered their AI strategies, looking for new ways to implement the technology without putting off customers. The goal is for restaurant technology to alleviate the pressure on human workers dealing with drive-thru, counter, and mobile orders.
Last year, McDonald’s ended its two-year experiment testing automated order-taking in partnership with IBM. According to Restaurant Business, the decision came after the technology added items to an order that customers didn’t ask for, and offered bacon with an ice cream cone.
According to the Journal, Taco Bell is learning from the same mistake McDonald’s made, but both companies are adamant that AI has a place in the drive-thru. Taco Bell is considering forgoing AI when the restaurant is busy, as human employees could handle a rush better. Additionally, the chain says there are certain times when AI can handle customers and when employees should monitor the AI for mistakes and mishaps.
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Instead of the automated order-taking model, McDonald’s tapped Google’s Cloud services to power its AI voice technology in the drive-thru, using the natural language software trained on Google’s gen AI models, according to the Journal. Wendy’s is doing the same, indicating a wider trend of using AI voice technology to complete customer orders.
Earlier this month, OpenAI updated its speech-to-speech model, gpt-realtime. The company made the speech model’s API available to developers, stating that “voice is the next medium.”
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The takeaway is that corporations like Taco Bell, McDonald’s, and Wendy’s are headstrong in believing that gen AI solutions belong in the drive-thru. The challenge is testing which models, methods, and partnerships will yield the best productivity, customer satisfaction, and profit.
Smaller companies may not have the same budget as the aforementioned businesses to experiment with multiple AI solutions, but can still benefit from small-scale pilot programs. Ultimately, the fast-food industry is a great way to assess the dos and don’ts of AI in customer service, and as the technology matures, hopefully its applications will become easier to identify.