We might not be living on space stations quite yet but the similarities between our world and George Jetson's are growing. With the advent of artificial intelligence (AI), more and more companies are getting on board with the smart technology to streamline services and, purportedly, get things done quicker. One of the latest companies to hop on the AI bandwagon? Wendy's.
Last week, during a quarterly earnings call, CEO Kirk Tanner announced that Wendy's would be bringing voice-enabled AI order-taking to up to 600 restaurants across the country. After finding success in a pilot program that was incorporated into almost 100 restaurants, the chain decided to go ahead and roll out its "FreshAI" on a larger scale.
While Tanner notes that the system is continually improving and will help to make labor and customer experience more efficient, customers aren't entirely on board.
"Had this happen at Taco Bell a few days ago. Had to ask for a real person because the damn thing couldn't understand me," commented one user on Reddit.
"I don't like them cutting costs without passing on savings," wrote another.
"Welp time to not eat at Wendys anymore," one customer lamented.
However, not everyone was opposed to the use of AI at the drive-thru. "Sad to say this but AI drive-thru is way better than with real people," one outlier wrote.
It will be interesting to see how people react to a more nationwide rollout. After experimenting with AI voice ordering over the course of two years, McDonald's finally called it quits mid-2024 due to some "chaotic" outcomes. In a time when people are craving human interaction, it's unclear whether other chains implementing AI at the drive-thru will move us forward or put us all over the edge.
