Fast food company Wendy's is expanding its AI-powered drive-thru ordering to more restaurants around the country.
The technology, dubbed Wendy's FreshAI, is already in place at four company-owned restaurants near its Ohio HQ. In 2024, it will open the pilot to franchisees.
FreshAI can have conversations with customers, handle custom order requests, and answer frequently asked questions.
"Unlike traditional rule-based systems, Wendy’s FreshAI uses generative AI to generate responses and adapt in real time instead of just following a narrow set of rules," Wendy's says. "Wendy’s FreshAI is not just a speaker and a microphone – it's a personalized, responsive experience for every customer."
This helps it handle unpredictable variations in customer orders. Wendy's says there are "more than 200 billion ways to order a Dave's Double" burger, for example.
Wendy's unveiled the initiative in May 2023 to "revolutionize the drive-thru experience," which it says 75-80% of its customers prefer. FreshAI is built on Google Cloud's generative AI technology and trained on "data from Wendy's menu, established business rules and logic for conversation guardrails, and integration with restaurant hardware and the Point of Sale system."
The system has reportedly sped up the time customers spend in the drive-thru line by 22 seconds. Accuracy still seems to be a challenge, defined as the number of orders successfully "started by the AI assistant and submitted to the point-of-sale system." During the pilot, Wendy's FreshAI averaged 86% accuracy, though the company expects it "to only increase."
Though the system appears to be reducing the number of drive-thru attendants required to take orders, Wendy's maintains the system is an "assistant, not a replacement" for its current crew members. The company says it will free them up to focus on preparing and serving food, and building relationships with customers.
"We plan to continue expanding Wendy's FreshAI to new, exciting channels while enhancing our restaurant team and customer experiences," Wendy's says. "This could include integrating AI with the Wendy’s app, in-restaurant kiosks, mobile devices, smart home devices, and more with a multi-channel approach to provide the best experience for our fans – however they choose to order."