Every corporation is constantly looking for ways to increase its revenue and profit margins.
That invariably puts working-class Americans in their crosshairs.
And Wendy’s just put a target on fast food workers’ backs with this radical plan to make drive-thrus faster.
Wendy’s using AI technology at drive-thru ordering screens
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is poised to change the country by automating tasks once done by humans.
Fast food giant Wendy’s is starting to use the technology in drive-thru lanes at some of its locations.
A video went viral on TikTok of a user ordering from one of the chain’s AI drive-thru order screens.
@brittanyann_222 Replying to @Gregg Ing here’s a little more complex order. human assistance was still needed to verify the order. #ai #artificalintelligence #wendys #techtok #automation
The customer in the video gave the AI assistant a complicated order, and one of the workers had to confirm that she ordered a hamburger with only the bottom half of the bun.
Wendy’s FreshAI is only available at four locations in and around Columbus, Ohio, where founder Dave Thomas opened his first Wendy’s location and the company’s headquarters is based.
But the company hopes to eventually roll out its AI drive-thrus nationwide.
Rising labor costs caused by the ruling-class elites’ overburdensome regulations and worker shortages are causing more fast food companies to turn to technology.
Ordering kiosks inside fast food restaurants has become a common occurrence at fast food chains.
The use of AI is the next step in bringing technology to the industry.
Wendy’s cited speed and accuracy for its decision to invest in AI when the program was first announced in December 2023.
“The benefits of speed of service continue throughout the time a customer is in the drive-thru, with one test site showing service times 22 seconds faster than the Columbus market average. The technology is allowing restaurant teams to focus on preparing and completing orders to serve up quality and speed,” Wendy’s said in a statement.
The chain claimed that their early testing found that AI had nearly an 86% accuracy rate in order-taking without having to rely on the help of a human’s assistance.
Yum! Brands, which owns Taco Bell, KFC, and Pizza Hut, is also in the early stages of developing an AI drive-thru system.
Chick-fil-A going in the opposite direction
While Wendy’s and other fast food chains are looking to AI to speed up the drive-thru, Chick-fil-A has doubled down on humans.
Chick-fil-A is testing a new concept in Atlanta, Georgia that features four drive-thru lanes manned by humans, with one of the lanes specifically dedicated to mobile orders.
The new store would have the kitchen directly above the drive-thru in order to help get the orders to cars faster.
“By building the kitchen above the drive-thru lanes, meals are expedited to the Team Member who delivers the order directly to the customer in a space protected by the upper level, so hospitality won’t be sacrificed for speed of service,” a Chick-fil-A news release said.
It remains to be seen which approach will ultimately prevail, but fast food chains are constantly innovating to serve more customers faster.
