Taco Bell is reassessing the pace and placement of its AI-powered drive-thru voice ordering after mixed results, order mishaps, and trolling attempts, including a prank request for “18,000 cups of water.” According to The Independent, the chain had planned broader expansion of the technology but is now taking a more cautious approach.
Mixed experiences and customer pushback
The fast-food brand announced last year that it would expand voice AI systems to help take and process drive-thru orders. While the company has touted potential benefits—easier workdays for employees, improved order accuracy, a more consistent and friendly experience, reduced wait times, and higher profit growth—actual deployments have revealed challenges.
Dane Mathews, Taco Bell’s chief digital and technology officer, told the Wall Street Journal that he has had “mixed experiences,” noting, “sometimes it lets me down but sometimes it really surprises me.” Customers have also posted frustrations online, including repeated prompts to add drinks and attempts to crash the system with outlandish orders.
Rethinking where AI fits best
Early-stage recalibration
Mathews said the company is reconsidering where and when to use the technology, suggesting that high-volume restaurants may still rely more on human team members. He added that Taco Bell will train staff to adjust in real time: at certain locations and times, the recommendation may be to use voice AI, closely monitor it, or jump in as necessary.
The Independent reports that specifics of the revised plan are still being developed and that discussions remain in the early stages. The outlet said it has contacted Taco Bell for further information.
The shift follows similar turbulence elsewhere in fast food. Last year, McDonald’s removed AI-powered ordering tools from its U.S. drive-thrus after online posts highlighted mishaps, from unexpected bacon in ice cream to large, unintended add-ons like hundreds of dollars in chicken nuggets. Like Taco Bell, those systems had been tested extensively, including at more than 100 McDonald’s restaurants since 2021.
As Taco Bell fine-tunes its rollout, the company’s stated goals remain tied to operational efficiency and a smoother customer experience—outcomes the brand previously said the technology was designed to deliver.
