Taco Bell Drive-Thru AI Helps Increase Employee Retention

Yum! Brands Chief Legal Officer Erika Burkhardt said Taco Bell’s automated drive-thru ordering has helped increase employee retention by easing friction in the ordering process and letting workers focus on the product and customer hospitality.

Burkhardt discussed the technology Tuesday at a women’s leadership summit in Santa Barbara, California. She said Yum! is still learning how to use AI in its restaurants and described a tension between the benefits she sees at work and public concerns about AI and data centers.

Taco Bell expanded its use of Omilia Voice AI in drive-thrus to nearly 900 locations in July. The system handles parts of the ordering process, while restaurant employees can focus on serving customers.

The rollout has also had mishaps. An automated drive-thru system at one Taco Bell location was once used to order 18,000 cups of water.