Fast-Food Chains Expand AI Beyond Drive-Thrus as 55% of Americans Still Prefer Human Order-Takers
Updated
Updated · The Verge · May 17
Fast-Food Chains Expand AI Beyond Drive-Thrus as 55% of Americans Still Prefer Human Order-Takers
5 articles · Updated · The Verge · May 17
McDonald’s, Burger King and Taco Bell are pushing AI into kitchen and store operations, including predictive maintenance, employee headset assistants and dynamic digital menu boards.
The shift comes as AI drive-thru chatbots face resistance: a January 2025 YouGov survey found 55% of Americans prefer a human order-taker, versus 4% who would rather use AI.
Credibility problems have also dogged the technology. McDonald’s ended its IBM partnership in 2024, Taco Bell has reevaluated deployment after customer trolling, and the SEC charged Presto with overstating its AI capabilities.
Chains are now testing less visible tools with clearer operational payoffs, such as McDonald’s order-weight checks and Berry AI camera timers that claim to cut drive-thru service times by 20% to 40%.
The broader restaurant industry is moving the same way: 26% of operators now use AI, mostly for marketing and administrative work rather than customer-facing ordering.
After AI's public drive-thru failure, is its silent takeover of kitchens a bigger threat to worker privacy?
Could the AI taking your order be psychologically nudging you to buy unhealthier, more expensive food?