If you haven’t heard, Wendy’s is currently testing out a new artificial intelligence-powered “chatbot” to assist at the chain’s drive-thrus. While some fans of the fast food giant have yet to try out this AI feature, many, as seen on Reddit, are already skeptical about the whole thing.
Earlier this month, in a thread titled, “It’s happening: AI chatbot to replace human order-takers at Wendy’s drive-thru,” many users began deeming the chatbot to be a “scam,” or an idea that “bothered” them.
As reported by the Wall Street Journal, Wendy’s is partnering with Google to create the chatbot, which is intended to take orders at its drive-thrus. The Verge also noted that Wendy’s is planning to unveil its first “Wendy’s FreshAI” enabled drive-thru at a Columbus, Ohio, restaurant in June 2023.
“You won’t know you’re talking to anybody but an employee.” https://t.co/WVWHY0GTnv
— Futurism (@futurism) May 26, 2023
Wendy’s New AI Chatbot Idea Faces Skepticism from Fans
The chatbot, as The Verge writes, will be able to take “verbal orders from customers who line up at Wendy’s drive-thru kiosks,” all with the “hope that it will help reduce” long wait times.
The outlet also points out that part of Google’s work with Wendy’s means “ensuring the AI is brushed up on some of Wendy’s lingo, such as knowing that a ‘milkshake’ translates to a ‘Frosty’ and that a ‘JBC’ is short for a ‘junior bacon cheeseburger.'”
As soon as a chatbot takes a customer’s order, it will “appear on a screen for line cooks.” A worker will then “hand the completed meals to customers at the pickup window, just like any other order.”
Give it a few years and none of us will have jobs! https://t.co/ZaKN51TUJr
— PC Gamer (@pcgamer) May 24, 2023
One fan wrote on Reddit after news of this chatbot idea broke, “AI is going to impact a lot of workers and make rich corporations richer.” Another added, “you really think there’s less work with an AI order taker? Or does that just mean a poor overworked employee no longer has to take an order WHILE doing 2000+tasks to get that order ready.”
Someone else replied, “I just can’t imagine corporations allowing a more relaxed environment. Like now that there’s 20% less work to do for 2 employees, you cut some non-peak hours or fire an employee and just distribute that other 60% amongst the rest. And that’s how they pay for the machines that take orders.”
Another critic chimed in, “It was never about being “essential,” just a stepping stone towards automation with no benefit to job seekers.”
Wendy’s partners with Google to automate its drive-through using an AI chatbot, rolling out in June to an Ohio restaurant; the bot has been programmed to upsell (Angus Loten/Wall Street Journal) https://t.co/EXqIMqnJhk pic.twitter.com/6EI2wzCZuC
— TechnoGrinder (@TechnoGrinder) May 9, 2023
Google Cloud CEO Thomas Kurian acknowledged some of the challenges that may arise with the AI chatbot at a drive-thru in a statement made to WSJ. The bot, as The Verge notes, will have to ignore “any noises it hears from kids in the backseat of a vehicle,” for example, and will “also have to deal with customers who change their minds” in the middle of an order.
Kurian said, “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.” As the publication adds, a Wendy’s employee will “monitor the AI-powered drive-thru” when it begins testing it in June in an attempt to avoid potential ordering problems like these.
Even still, some customers and fans of the chain are still expressing their “fears” and “disappointment” with the idea of an AI chatbot on Reddit.
