Fast-food AI drive-thrus face customer pushback
a january 2025 survey shows 55% of americans prefer human drive-thru service over ai, leading chains like mcdonald's and taco bell to rethink their automated ordering strategies.
despite widespread testing by major chains like wendy's, mcdonald's, and taco bell, ai drive-thrus are struggling with customer acceptance. a january 2025 survey found 55% of americans prefer humans, prompting companies to adjust their strategies following technical failures and user frustration. taco bell is reviewing its voice ai after users exploited the system, while mcdonald's pivots from ibm to explore new ai applications for equipment maintenance.