United StatesFood and restaurants2024 – ongoingTaco Bell
Voice AI drive-thru ordering
Taco Bell put voice AI in more than 500 drive-thrus, then began rethinking where it should take orders alone
Problem
Drive-thru lanes bring in a large share of fast-food sales, and order-taking ties up staff during busy periods. Taco Bell wanted voice AI to take orders so staff could focus on preparing food.
Approach
Taco Bell rolled out AI voice ordering to more than 500 US drive-through locations. Videos of failures spread online, including a customer ordering 18,000 cups of water, apparently to force a human to take over. In late August 2025 the chain's chief digital and technology officer, Dane Mathews, told The Wall Street Journal that the company was "learning a lot" and that AI might not suit every drive-thru, with very busy locations possibly better served by people. Reports said staff would get guidance on when the AI could run on its own and when a person should step in.
Results
Takeaway
Pranks and unusual orders exposed weaknesses in the system, and a stalled order can hold up the whole lane at busy sites. The chain kept the system but moved from AI-only ordering towards deciding store by store when a person takes over.
Categories
- Size
- Large enterprise
- Industry
- Food and restaurants
- Business function
- Customer serviceProduction and quality
- Innovation type
- Process innovation
- AI technology
- Conversational and voice AI
- Adoption
- Co-developed with a partner
- Evidence
- Company's own claim
Sources
Source summaries
HotHardware reports, based on the chief digital and technology officer's interview with The Wall Street Journal, that Taco Bell was reconsidering AI-only order-taking after its rollout to more than 500 drive-throughs. It mentions the 18,000-water order and quotes the executive saying the company was learning a lot and that it was "really, really early". It says staff would be guided on when the AI may run unsupervised and when a person should step in, and compares other chains' drive-thru AI efforts.
Cyber Daily describes inconsistent results from the AI system at over 500 drive-throughs, including an 18,000-cup water order apparently meant to force staff to override it. It quotes the executive's remarks to The Wall Street Journal that the company was having an "active conversation" about when to use AI. It notes his suggestion that very busy locations with long lines may be better served by people, and that no firm changes had been announced.
Full details are in the original sources.
