What to know about voice AI at Taco Bell

Taco Bell is adding something new to its menus, but it's not a new riff on a chalupa or Crunch Wrap -- it's a form of artificial intelligence that will mimic human speech in the drive-thru experience.

The popular fast food chain's parent company, Yum! Brands, announced plans this week to use voice AI technology across hundreds of U.S. Taco Bell locations by the end of 2024, with hopes of using the tech at its other brands like KFC and Habit Burger globally in the future.

At launch, the use of conversational AI that gives a voice to predictive technology with speech recognition and natural language processing will roll out in 13 states to "enhance back-of-house operations for team members and elevate the order experience for consumers."

While the company did not directly address if this could indicate any reductions in staffing, Yum! Brands stated that the "benefits include easing task load for team members, improving order accuracy, providing a consistent, friendly experience, and reducing wait times, while driving profitable growth."

Lawrence Kim, chief innovation officer for Yum! Brands, said in the press release that "AI is a core piece" of the company's strategy to integrate digital and technology into all aspects of the business.

"With over two years of fine tuning and testing the drive-thru Voice AI technology, we're confident in its effectiveness in optimizing operations and enhancing customer satisfaction," he said.

Voice AI is also being tested at five KFC locations in Australia and has thus far, according to Yum!, been "positively received by consumers and restaurant team members.

"Innovation is ingrained in our DNA at Taco Bell, and we view Voice AI as a means to improve the team member and consumer experiences," said Chief Digital & Technology Officer Dane Mathews. "Tapping into AI gives us the ability to ease team members' workloads, freeing them to focus on front-of-house hospitality. It also enables us to unlock new and meaningful ways to engage with our customers."

In its announcement this week, the company also said "the next generation of the Taco Bell Rewards loyalty program" will be coming later this year.