Fast-food chain Wendy’s Co. WEN has partnered with Alphabet Inc.’s GOOG GOOGL Google Cloud to introduce an AI chatbot that can take orders at its drive-thru.
What Happened: Wendy’s and Google Cloud have joined forces to develop a solution called “Wendy’s FreshAI,” an AI chatbot designed to streamline the ordering process at the company’s drive-thrus.
The initiative is set to make its debut at a Wendy’s restaurant in Columbus, Ohio, next month. With the aim of reducing wait times, Wendy’s chatbot would be capable of receiving verbal orders from customers at its drive-thru kiosks, according to the company.
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As part of its partnership with Wendy’s, Google is ensuring that the AI chatbot is familiar with Wendy’s terminology, such as recognizing that a “milkshake” is a “Frosty” and that a “JBC” refers to a “junior bacon cheeseburger,” reported The Wall Street Journal.
“It will be very conversational,” said Todd Penegor, Wendy’s CEO. “You won’t know you’re talking to anybody but an employee.”
Once the chatbot receives a customer’s order, it will be displayed on a screen for the kitchen staff to prepare. The completed meals will be handed to customers at the pickup window, similar to traditional orders.
Google Cloud CEO Thomas Kurian acknowledged the difficulties of implementing an AI chatbot for the drive-thru. He said the chatbot would have to ignore background noises, such as children’s voices and handle situations where customers change their minds mid-order.
“You may think driving by and speaking into a drive-through is an easy problem for AI, but it’s actually one of the hardest,” he reportedly said.
Why It’s Important: Wendy’s isn’t the only company that intends to jump on the generative AI bandwagon and improve its current operations.
In March 2023, OpenAI, whose AI-powered chatbot chatGPT’s popularity reportedly prompted Google to declare “code red,” started offering paid access to businesses interested in using the chatbot’s ability to elevate the performance of their apps and products.
Companies like Instacart Inc., Shopify Inc. SHOP and Snap Inc. SNAP already integrate OpenAI’s technology into their products.
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