Taco Bell, KFC Announce Major Change at Hundreds of Locations Starting Next Month

Artificial Intelligence is taking over the drive-thru at hundreds of fast-food restaurants. Yum! Brands, the company behind Taco Bell, KFC, and Pizza Hut, is rolling out AI ordering systems to 500 locations starting in April.

Key Facts:

Yum! Brands is introducing AI voice-ordering at 500 Taco Bell, KFC, and Pizza Hut locations starting April through June 2025.
The company is partnering with Nvidia to bring advanced AI that can understand complex orders and customer speech.
The AI rollout follows successful pilot programs at select locations.
Wendy’s plans to deploy AI ordering at up to 600 restaurants after a positive pilot experience.
McDonald’s ended its pilot with IBM in 2023 after order accuracy problems.

The Rest of The Story:

Yum! Brands is moving quickly to adopt AI in its fast food operations.

Starting in April, customers at 500 Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, and KFC locations will be placing their orders through artificial intelligence instead of a human employee.

The AI technology, developed in partnership with Nvidia, is built to handle more than just simple commands.

It’s designed to understand speech patterns, handle complex menu requests, and even respond with emotional cues and personalized interactions.

Yum! says the system will also support workers by managing back-end tasks using real-time analytics and alerts.

Other fast food chains are testing similar technology.

Wendy’s, impressed by its trial run, is expanding AI ordering to hundreds of locations.

McDonald’s, however, ended its AI pilot last summer after it reportedly struggled with accuracy, though the company hasn’t ruled out trying again with a different system.

AI will soon be taking your drive-thru orders at 500 Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, KFC locations https://t.co/HxnCeiNFpc

— USA TODAY (@USATODAY) March 22, 2025

Commentary:

Let’s be honest—drive-thru service hasn’t been great for years.

Long wait times, wrong orders, and employees who sometimes struggle to keep up have become standard.

AI-powered ordering systems could change that, and frankly, it’s about time.

These new systems promise to be faster, more accurate, and less prone to human error.

With the ability to handle complex orders and understand different ways people speak, customers could end up with fewer mistakes and shorter lines.

That’s a win for everyone involved.

But this isn’t just about convenience.

It’s about economics.

The cost of labor in the fast-food industry has skyrocketed, and businesses are being squeezed from all sides.

Using AI to replace or assist with certain jobs just makes sense.

It helps restaurants stay profitable while still delivering decent service.

We suspect what Yum! Brands is doing will soon become the industry standard.

Once one major player shows that AI ordering works, others won’t want to fall behind.

The technology is already here, and the pilot results show it’s ready for wide use.

Even McDonald’s—despite halting its IBM partnership—didn’t abandon the idea of AI altogether.

It simply needs a better version.

As more tech companies refine these tools, it won’t be long before AI becomes the default employee behind the drive-thru speaker.

AI ordering may not solve every problem, but it’s a major step toward a more efficient, streamlined fast-food experience.

The Bottom Line:

Yum! Brands is betting big on AI to improve customer service and reduce labor demands at its fast food chains.

With AI ordering coming to 500 locations this spring, the company is joining a growing movement across the industry.

As labor costs rise and technology improves, AI in fast food isn’t just a novelty—it’s the future.