A major change is coming to how you order at Taco Bell – and it’s very different to McDonald’s

Taco Bell will expand the use of artificial intelligence (AI) voice technology in its drive-thrus, it announced Wednesday.

The technology will be rolled out in hundreds of U.S. stores by the end of the year, according to parent company Yum! Brands said.

Taco Bell currently uses AI in more than 100 drive-thrus in 13 states. The company says it improves order accuracy, reduces wait times, and drives profitable growth for the company and its franchisees.

This means that when customers come in to order a Cheesy Gordita Crunch or a Chicken Quesadilla, chances are they’re talking to an AI instead of a human.

Taco Bell’s expansion of the technology comes weeks after rival McDonald’s announced it would completely phase out automated chatbots at drive-thru locations.

McDonald’s said in June it would phase out an AI-powered drive-thru ordering program after problems with the technology went viral.

The company also announced that it will remove the controversial technology from more than 100 locations where it was used.

According to the fast food giant, the goal of the test was to determine whether automated voice ordering could speed up service, simplify operations and create a better experience for customers.

However, fans increasingly documented their failed orders on social media, including cases where the AI ​​chatbot added unwanted items or failed to understand simple requests.

In a video captioned “fighting the McDonald’s robot,” a woman was seen trying to order a bottle of water and a cup of vanilla ice cream.

Instead, four packets of butter and four packets of ketchup were attached to the order the wrong way around.

Another photo showed two people laughing hysterically as the AI ​​chatbot added more than 2,000 McNuggets to their order, totaling more than $200.

In December, it was revealed that the AI-powered drive-thrus at Carl’s Jr. and Del Taco were making so many errors that 7 in 10 orders required human intervention.

But Lawrence Kim, Chief Innovation Officer at Yum! Brands, told CNN He is confident that his company’s technology will not face the same problems.

Instead, he emphasized that it had actually led to more accurate orders, shorter wait times at the drive-thru and happier employees.

“We are confident that we have handled this in the right way,” he said.

Taco Bell currently uses AI in over 100 drive-thrus in 13 states

McDonald’s has scrapped AI chatbots at its drive-thru after problems with the technology went viral

He added that there is still a Taco Bell employee on the other end of the line who can intervene if there are any problems.

“Voice AI doesn’t replace any team member,” Kim said, adding that the technology is designed to “enhance the experience of team members so they can focus on other tasks that are their priority.”

Kim declined to tell the outlet which technology partner the company worked with to develop the AI ​​ordering tool.

However, he believes the AI ​​could also be implemented at the company’s other chains, including KFC and Pizza Hut.

The fast food industry has long seen automation as a way to cut costs as food and labor inflation rises.

Apps, mobile ordering, and automated in-store kiosks have become commonplace in many fast food restaurants in the US.

Rising food and labor costs have forced restaurants across the country to close their doors.

California’s introduction of a $20-an-hour minimum wage earlier this year has also put more pressure on fast food restaurants in the state.

That’s why many companies are turning to technology to save costs.

When the law was introduced in April, a Burger King franchisee with 140 restaurants on the West Coast said he planned to have digital kiosks in every location within two months.

Until the wage increase took place, he wanted to implement the measures over the next five to ten years.

In December, it was revealed that the AI-powered drive-thrus at Carl’s Jr. and Del Taco were making so many errors that 7 in 10 orders required human intervention.