Taco Bell Backpedals On AI Drive-Thru After Customers Troll System & Viral Glitches

Every company is trying to find ways to leverage AI even if they’re not necessarily a technology company, especially as NVIDIA continues to post monster quarterly results. However, companies are quickly figuring out that it’s not possible to just slap AI somewhere in their business process and expect the money to start rolling in; Taco Bell is the latest company to learn this lesson.

The Tex-Mex food chain began to roll out AI-powered voice ordering at over 500 drive-through locations last year. Rather than any efficiency gains or a better experience for its customers, the company has encountered glitches and trolls looking to make the AI look bad on social media. For example, in one instance someone attempted to order 18,000 cups of water when using the AI drive-through.

The company’s chief digital and technology officer Dane Matthews says “we’re learning a lot, I’m ...