Fast-food chains are expanding AI drive-thru ordering in the U.S., saying accuracy has improved while labour groups warn automation could reduce starter jobs.
Fast-food chains are increasingly turning to artificial intelligence to take drive-thru orders in the United States, reviving a technology that stumbled in early tests but is now being rolled out more widely as restaurants look for faster service and staffing relief.
The systems use voice AI to greet customers, answer questions and send orders to employees inside the restaurant. If the chatbot runs into trouble, a worker can step in. Companies selling the technology say its accuracy has improved enough to outperform human order takers in some settings, while labour advocates warn that automation could shrink the kinds of entry-level jobs that have long been a path into the workforce.
Early AI drive-thru pilots, which began appearing as far back as 2021, were often uneven. Some customers deliberately tried to confuse the systems by asking for large numbers of water cups or items that were not on the menu. Other incidents went viral after chatbots misunderstood orders or repeatedly pushed add-ons, prompting some chains to return to human staff.
In recent months, however, more major brands have been testing or deploying voice AI at U.S. locations. McDonald’s is testing a Google-powered drive-thru system, and Taco Bell has partnered with Nvidia for its chatbots. Two voice AI companies, Presto and SoundHound, told CBC News that the technology could reach Canadian drive-thrus within months, though several fast-food companies did not confirm Canadian plans.
At White Castle, a SoundHound-built chatbot named Julia is operating at about 40 locations. The company says the system has helped reduce wait times and free employees for other work, including food preparation and bringing orders to customers.
“At first we had a few hiccups, but we straightened them all out and it’s been doing good,” White Castle store manager Denise Harley told CBC News. “It just helps us get the orders in and out faster.”
White Castle chief marketing officer Jamie Richardson said the company has not used the tool to cut jobs, but to improve productivity. He said order accuracy with Julia is “well above the 90 per cent range” and better than the company’s previous drive-thru performance.
The push comes as restaurants continue to deal with high turnover and rising labour costs. The U.S. National Restaurant Association says more than a quarter of restaurant operators it surveyed are using AI-related tools. SoundHound says voice AI can also help restaurants increase sales by consistently suggesting add-ons.
Labour organizers are urging governments and employers to move carefully. The World Economic Forum has forecast that jobs such as cashiers will be among the fastest-declining roles over the next five years because of automation. Siobhán Vipond, executive vice-president of the Canadian Labour Congress, told CBC News that fast-food jobs are often “stepping stone jobs” for young workers and others entering the labour market.
For now, the technology’s spread is clearest in the U.S. Whether Canadian chains adopt it at scale may depend on how well the latest systems handle real customers, how much money restaurants believe they can save or make, and how workers and regulators respond as AI moves from the back office to the order window.
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