Posted on 03/27/2025 7:55:42 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
Taco Bell is about to get an AI makeover from one of the biggest names in the game.
Yum! Brands, the owner of Taco Bell, KFC, and Pizza Hut, announced it is teaming up with chip company Nvidia to bring the chip giant’s AI technology to its drive-thrus and restaurant operations — upgrading and expanding Taco Bell’s existing voice AI.
According to Tuesday’s announcement, Nvidia’s AI software will be integrated into Yum’s in-house tech platform, enabling voice assistants to take orders more smoothly, smart cameras to track bottlenecks in real time, and AI analytics to help managers optimize operations.
Yum has already tested the technology at select Taco Bell and Pizza Hut locations, and plans to expand it to 500 restaurants across its four brands in the second quarter. Indeed, Taco Bell could really use the boost.
According to the 2024 QSR Drive-Thru Report, the chain lags its biggest competitors like Wendy’s and McDonald’s, taking one to two minutes longer to complete orders per car — while ranking worst in order accuracy among the 10 major fast-food chains surveyed.
These rivals aren’t slowing down on AI either: Wendy’s is scaling up its voice AI ordering from 100 to 500 to 600 drive-thru locations by year-end. Meanwhile, McDonald’s is planning to use AI across all 43,000 of its stores after scrapping an earlier drive-thru AI trial that struggled with accuracy.
The AI push comes at a time when restaurant labor productivity is soaring in the US, after staying flat for nearly 30 years. According to a new NBER study, fast-food labor productivity jumped over 15% during the pandemic as more customers chose takeout and delivery, spending less time in-store.
Long ago, my parents told me that vendors on the streets sold Corn husk wrapped hot tamales. They were good with beef. Maybe taco bell should make them and they could be heated up by mirowave and served hot. That might be good. Mexico makes all sorts of Tamales—Beef, chicken, shrimp, fish, even sweet ones with fruit.
I can’t eat Taco Bell any more.
I was in one a couple years ago and I checked out the prices. Compared to what I was paying when I worked in Fort Lee 20 years ago, I thought that the prices now should actually be a bit higher. Since they weren’t, I had to assume that the quality of the ingredients was much worse.
Taco Bell’s competitor Del Taco offers tamales at Christmastime that are excellent. In fact Del Taco’s food overall is better and at lower prices. I don’t go near Taco Bell anymore. The last time they were good was decades ago.
Mexican food must be the cheapest and quickest food on the planet to make especially since Taco Bell only has to grab a tortilla and toss some beans and cheese on it and call it done. I’ll let y’all debate the human v. AI (which discriminates against Southern accents) and continue to make my own tamales since we don’t eat out and our self imposed reduced food budget is less than half SNAP’s hand out. That’s another job for DOGE but Trump wouldn’t dare cut one penny much less half.
Anyone remember “Demolition Man” with Sylvester Stallone?
Looks like that movie is going the way of the Simpsons with their prophetic predictions!
(In Demolition Man, “future” Taco Bell is the only survivor of the fast food wars)
I still go to Taco Bell from time to time mainly when I want something quick, I never have any trouble with my order because I keep it simple.
The taco Bell is also easy to get to and on my way home. I can usually order and get my food in less than 5 minutes and the price is cheap.
What happened to “fast” food places? Most are no long fast or cheap.
There’s no way McD is that low, they are slower than hell now. I rarely go unless I’m traveling, but they are terrible anymore.
Its hard to find a mexican place that actually sells tamales. I love real corn husk tamales, but most Mexican places don’t sell them, even the ones the Mexicans go to.
Corkys Bar-B-Que here in Memphis does sell tamales. About the only place that I know that deos.
McDonalds has sucked for over 30 years. They just get worse and worse. I usually eat there only one or twice a year and I only get the breakfast when I am on the road traveling.
Stupidity. I won’t use this crap. Tried the kiosk at Wendy’s and it was a terrible experience. I will go where ever this crap does not exist.
Our local Taco Bell hasn’t opened their dining room since kung flu lock downs. Only take out or drive through. I have never been back to any Taco Bell.
I’d rather just drive by on the way to somewhere else
“AI (which discriminates against Southern accents)”
actually, i’ve wondered how well AI understands ghetto ebonics ...
“Anyone remember “Demolition Man” with Sylvester Stallone? In Demolition Man, “future” Taco Bell is the only survivor of the fast food wars”
one of the most iconic science fiction ideas in any movie ... unforgettable as far as i’m concerned ...
“but they are terrible anymore.” ... and the portions are so small ...
“McDonalds has sucked for over 30 years.”
a couple of decades ago, we got 2-for-one big mac coupons, and feeling nostalgic, we bought a couple ... the big macs sat like lead in our stomachs and made us ill ... never again ...
[same thing happened when we got nostalgic for Velveeta]
The last, and I mean THE LAST TIME I went to Popeye’s I had trouble making myself understood via the drive-up speaker, then spent at least 20 minutes waiting in line. The (white) woman at the window seemed either retarded, stoned, or possibly both. Got home and found my order was missing two side dishes but of course I had been charged for both.
The local Chik-Fil-A on the other hand has been just about perfect. Everybody speaks good English and acts in a professional manner, orders are filled quickly with no mistakes and the prices are reasonable. And the food is hot, fresh and tasty!
Breakfast is half edible, everything else is drek.
I agree, which is why I rarely eat there and only breakfast, if they are no other options available.
>>> one of the most iconic science fiction ideas in any movie ... unforgettable as far as i’m concerned ...
Sometimes we put 3 seashells on the back part of our guest toilet to see if they get it.
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