AI drive‑thru chatbots expand as diners favor humans
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- McDonald’s launched its first AI drive‑thru chatbot in 2021 after acquiring Apprente (2019) and scaling with IBM, initially at 10 Chicago locations.
- Checkers and Rally’s partnered with Presto in 2022 to install chatbots at all corporate‑owned US drive‑thrus, aiming to boost sales and order accuracy.
- Wendy’s introduced the “FreshAI” chatbot in 2023 at a Columbus, Ohio drive‑thru, built with Google, and reported 86% of orders were correct without human help.
- Taco Bell plans to roll out its voice‑AI ordering system to hundreds of U.S. locations by the end of 2024, but its chief digital officer said the rollout is being reevaluated after social‑media backlash.
- YouGov surveyed Americans in January 2025, finding 55% prefer a human taking drive‑thru orders, only 4% favor AI, and 21% have no preference.
- SEC charged Presto in 2023 with misleading customers about its AI capabilities, revealing that most orders still required human workers in the Philippines.
- Burger King is testing an AI assistant called “Patty” inside employee headsets to help with food prep and monitor courteous language, while also using AI to flag equipment downtime and out‑of‑stock items.
Why it matters: Consumers overwhelmingly favor human attendants, with 55% preferring them, limiting the promised speed gains of AI ordering; fast‑food operators risk brand damage and must invest in supplemental AI tools, while providers like Presto face legal penalties, reshaping the cost‑benefit calculus of AI in quick‑service restaurants.
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