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

ZDnet ^ | 8/1/24 | Artie Beaty, Contributing Writer

[DallasBiff]

AI technology is coming to Taco Bell, hopefully freeing up employees to lessen your wait time and provide better service.

[DallasBiff]

Well, will the food be any better, and will I have to to the toilet three hours later, after a burrito?

[woweeitsme]

1. No
2. Of course...Taco Bell is instant laxative! :)

[Frank Drebin]

With their new, blazingly fast, TAICO™ system, you’ll be going to the toilet in only two hours!

[DarrellZero]

Actually just using the app is the quick and easy way to ensure that your order is communicated correctly. No AI required.

[V_TWIN]

My wife loves it. 🤷

She had me take her for lunch last Tuesday.

I’ll say this, I like the touch screen ordering a lot......this AI thing I dunno.

[xoxox]

weird how taco bell became a sort of touchstone for western civilization.

[xoxox]

well, if the real thing isn’t available...

[Mr. N. Wolfe]

All of these fast food restaurants seem to have adopted a dreary color scheme.

[who_would_fardels_bear]

Yes, I would like two proofs for the existence of God, the square root of two, and a side of fries.

[Billthedrill]

Hmm...not sure about this AI stuff...

"I'll have a burrito and a chimi, extra sour cream, large nacho fries, and an order of chips and guacamole, please."

"I'm sorry, sir, but we've been in touch with your smart appliances. The scale and the fridge vetoed the order. Have a salad."

[albie]

How’s that $25 an hour minimum wage working out for people? Living the good life?

[Political Junkie Too]

Order accuracy has not been the problem, order fulfillment is the problem.

-PJ

[no-to-illegals]

No person, no order.

[gibsonguy]

Order accuracy has not been the problem, order fulfillment is the problem.“

Very much so and getting worse.

[Brian Griffin]

McDonald’s uses touchscreen ordering systems in Spain and the USA.

They work.

[goodnesswins]

Now the fulfillers can blame AI

[Magnum44]

Just getting well positioned to win the coming franchise war.

[HombreSecreto]

IIRC from the movies, Taco Bell won the Restaurant Wars.

[COBOL2Java]

"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"

Hopefully the AI voice will work better than Dr. Demento's "Fast Food" LOL

[steve86]

This is not about touch screens. It is about AI voice ordering.