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Taco Bell Piles on More AI While Customers Plead "Just Bring Back The Enchirito"

Mar 20, 2025 - futurism.com
Yum Brands, the parent company of Taco Bell, KFC, and Pizza Hut, is partnering with NVIDIA to integrate AI into the fast food industry on a large scale. Their proprietary software, "Byte by Yum," will use AI to take orders, track cars in drive-throughs, and analyze sales performance. While this may excite shareholders, it raises concerns among consumers wary of AI-powered customer service and workers who fear increased surveillance. The AI system aims to optimize labor management by tracking employees, which critics argue could exacerbate the already challenging conditions for low-wage workers.

This move by Yum Brands is part of a broader trend of corporations using technology for invasive monitoring, such as tracking employee conversations and performance metrics. The national rollout of AI surveillance in fast food chains is not new, with previous experiments in Dairy Queens, KFCs, and Taco Bells. As companies push these technological boundaries, customers remain focused on simpler desires, like the return of popular menu items.

Key takeaways:

  • Yum Brands is partnering with NVIDIA to integrate AI into the fast food industry, using proprietary software called "Byte by Yum" for tasks like taking orders and analyzing sales performance.
  • AI is being used to expand surveillance and optimize labor management in fast food restaurants, raising concerns about worker privacy and exploitation.
  • Yum Brands' AI initiatives are part of a broader trend of corporations using technology for invasive employee monitoring.
  • Despite corporate enthusiasm for AI, consumer reactions are mixed, with some expressing dissatisfaction with AI-powered customer service.
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