AI drive-thru ordering is on the rise — but it may take years to iron out its flaws
Searching for ways to lower labor costs, restaurants are hoping that artificial intelligence can take down drive-thru orders — but it will likely be years before the technology becomes widely available.
Searching for ways to lower labor costs, restaurants are hoping that artificial intelligence can take down drive-thru orders — but it will likely be years before the technology becomes widely available.
This year, 16% of restaurant operators plan to invest in artificial intelligence, including voice recognition, according to a survey from the National Restaurant Association. Most of the big spending comes from large chains, which have the capital and scale to make the technology work for their businesses.
Even before the pandemic, labor costs had been rising for restaurants, leading operators to look to technology to boost their profit margins. Then Covid came, which not only accelerated labor costs but also led to a shift away from dining rooms and toward drive-thru lanes. California’s decision earlier this year to hike wages for fast-food workers to $20 an hour has only made operators more inclined to embrace technology to cut their labor costs, which has so far helped mostly in the automation of back-of-the-house tasks.
At the same time, ChatGPT and other AI tools have fueled new excitement for generative AI in restaurants, though the industry is typically slow to embrace technological advances.
One stumbling block for the burgeoning tech came in June, when McDonald’s told its franchisees that it would end its trial of Automated Order Taker, AI technology meant for its drive-thru lanes through a partnership with IBM. Once an early mover in the voice-ordering race, the fast-food giant now plans to turn to other vendors.
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