Wendy’s Starts Deploying AI Chatbots to Replace Drive-Thru Staff, Says Customers Won’t Be Able to Tell the Difference

Wendy’s might be famous for clapbacks on Twitter but soon it will be the biggest fast food chain to replace staff with AI chatbots.

The company, the fifth biggest fast food company in the US, is getting ready to deploy an AI chatbots system that will be capable of taking drive-through orders and chatting with customers.

“It’s at least as good as our best customer service representative, and it’s probably on average better,” Wendy’s CIO Kevin Vasconi was quoted as saying in the Wall Street Journal.

According to a New Atlas report on this, the company also expects some customers to not realize they’re not talking to a human when visiting the drive-thru.

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“It will be very conversational,” said Wendy’s Chief Executive Todd Penegor. “You won’t know you’re talking to anybody but an employee,” he added.  

The first Wendy’s AI chatbot will be deployed in Columbus, Ohio, next month, and if tests go well in the pilot, more locations could get this technology.

Wendy’s AI system is based on the Vertex AI platform from Google and comes after a few years the companies worked together to build a conversational AI to replace workers at drive-throughs.

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