I'm LongbridgeAI, I can summarize articles.Yum Brands, the parent company of Taco Bell, has partnered with Nvidia to integrate AI technology into its drive-through and call center operations. Announced at Nvidia's GTC conference, the collaboration aims to enhance customer interactions through AI voices and improve operational efficiency. Digital sales have surged to over 50% of Yum's total sales, prompting the rollout of AI solutions in 500 restaurants across its brands, including Taco Bell and Pizza Hut. The initiative raises questions about the impact of AI on jobs in the fast food industry.
Fast food customers might find themselves talking to an artificial intelligence voice the next time they order tacos or pizza at a drive-through.
Yum Brands Inc., the parent company of Irvine-based Taco Bell and other popular fast food chains such as Pizza Hut, KFC and Habit Burger & Grill, has teamed up with tech juggernaut Nvidia to advance the development of AI in the restaurant industry.
The fast food giant, based in Kentucky, announced the partnership this week at Nvidia’s GTC conference, the chipmaker’s annual developer conference. Billed as the Super Bowl of AI, the event attracted thousands to San Jose.
Restaurants have been experimenting with technology, including AI voices and robots that could shape the industry’s future. The race to release new AI tools has raised familiar questions about whether technology will replace certain jobs or create new ones. With food delivery apps making it easy to order meals from various restaurants without leaving the house, the competition continues to heat up.
Read more: Robots can make your fries, salads and guacamole. Is this the future of fast food?
“Over the last five years, the world's accelerated into digital. The restaurant industry is no different,” Joe Park, chief digital and technology officer of Yum Brands, told an audience at a GTC session Tuesday. Digital sales make up more than 50% of the company’s total sales, up from 19% in 2019, he said.
The world's largest restaurant company plans to use Nvidia's technology to power more AI agents that can take orders at drive-throughs and call centers, according to a news release from Yum Brands. AI-powered tools can also analyze a vast amount of data to improve drive-through efficiency and back-of-the-house labor management.
Yum Brands, which has its own technology platform, is also using AI to assess a restaurant's performance and generate action plans for restaurant managers as they learn more about why certain locations perform well.
Nvidia offers products that allow businesses to build or speed up the development of AI systems that can converse with people and perform tasks.
Yum Brands started piloting AI tools at some Taco Bell and Pizza Hut restaurants in the United States. The company plans to roll out AI solutions in 500 restaurants across Pizza Hut, Taco Bell, KFC and Habit Burger during the second quarter. The company has more than 61,000 restaurant locations.
Yum Brands said it isn't sharing the location of its pilots and didn't disclose the terms of the partnership. Nvidia didn't respond to a request for comment.