Taco Bell is extending its AI drive-thru technology to hundreds of locations across the U.S

Yum Brands aims to implement artificial intelligence for taking drive-thru orders at hundreds of Taco Bell locations by the end of this year.

The company announced on Wednesday its plans to expand the use of this technology in the U.S., with a vision to implement it in drive-thru lanes globally.

Yum Brands joins competitors like Wendy’s and White Castle in investing in voice AI, but its plans are the most ambitious to date. While tech companies claim voice AI can speed up service, reduce labor costs, and increase sales through upselling, restaurants have taken a cautious approach, testing the technology to ensure both employees and customers have a positive experience.

Currently, the technology is in use at around 100 Taco Bell restaurants across 13 states. After two years of testing, the company highlights benefits such as improved order accuracy, reduced wait times, and a consistent, friendly experience. Yum Brands operates 7,400 stores across the U.S.

"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," Lawrence Kim, Yum's chief innovation officer, stated in a news release.

Additionally, Yum’s KFC brand is trialing the technology at five locations in Australia.

Last year, Yum Brands reported nearly $30 billion in digital sales, with more than 50% of sales in the first quarter of 2024 coming through digital channels. The company's digital business has more than doubled since 2019.

Taco Bell's expansion of AI technology follows a notable competitor's struggle with automated voice ordering in a pilot project with IBM. Last month, McDonald's announced it was discontinuing the AI ordering technology it had been testing at over 100 U.S. drive-thrus due to customer complaints, including a viral video showing an AI cashier mistakenly adding nine sweet teas to an order.