New AI-powered ordering systems are being used at Taco Bell locations across Erie, handling customer orders and helping restaurants streamline operations.
According to Jason M. Riggs, Chief Commercial & Product Officer at Audivi AI, the technology is designed to improve accuracy and efficiency while allowing employees to focus on other tasks.
“There are instances with AI where you do want human judgement involved, but order taking is not one of them. I think we’d all agree, you just want to say what you want and have the thing process it and make sure the order’s accurate,” Riggs said.
The AI systems are capable of handling the vast majority of customer interactions at the drive-thru speaker without human interference.
“You know, if you can offload, let’s say, 95-98% of those transactions accurately and have them process correctly and then just worry about making sure you put the right stuff together for the order, then that’s a huge win for the customer, hopefully, and for the owner operator as well,” Riggs said.
Developers say the technology can also help restaurants improve speed and reduce costs.
“Every second you save in a drive-thru transaction results in $10,000 in savings annually, so right away, you’ve got some bottom-line benefits for the owner,” Riggs said.
As AI becomes more common in fast-food operations, some customers have raised concerns about whether the technology could eventually replace human workers. Riggs said that has not been the focus of AI drive-thru systems.
“It’s not about displacing current employees. There’s really not a lot of that if you look at sort of how it’s been deployed today,” Riggs said.
He added that the technology often improves the employee experience by removing one of the more challenging aspects of the job.
“They don’t drive away employees or lay off employees because of them. They end up having better employee retention generally because the employees are happier. They don’t have to worry about that really difficult sort of messy work of taking the order,” Riggs said.
Riggs said hospitality remains a critical part of the restaurant experience and that employees continue to play an important role.
“You know, when people talk about AI displacing humans, maybe there’s certain companies where that is the case, but I think particularly in drive-thrus, it’s all about hospitality. It’s about how you greet the customer. Are you preparing the order correctly? Are you cooking the food well?” he said.
Looking ahead, developers are already exploring new ways AI could personalize the drive-thru experience.
“Everything from, like, kiosk AI that can profile you know, not necessarily people, but cars when they come through the drive-thru based on whether it’s a minivan or a sports car, and they can dynamically change the menus. That’s the kind of stuff they’re working on,” Riggs said.
Taco Bell did not respond to a request for comment.
For now, AI ordering systems continue to expand across the fast-food industry, offering customers a glimpse into what the future of drive-thru dining may look like. Other chains, including McDonald’s and Wendy’s, are also implementing AI-powered ordering technology.