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US-based Mexican fast food chain Taco Bell is having a rethink regarding its major AI push, after its rollout of AI-powered drive-through ordering systems led to inconsistent results.
The AI drive-through system works by having users tell their order to the AI rather than a human attendant. If the AI is having any issues, the ordering will be taken over by a human.
While Taco Bell has rolled the AI system out at over 500 drive-through locations, the results have gone viral for their hilarity and have had inconsistent success. In one case, a man ordered 18,000 water cups to force humans to override the AI ordering system.
Taco Bell chief digital and technology officer Dane Mathews told The Wall Street Journal that the company is having an “active conversation” about when AI should be used, but that Taco Bell is “learning a lot”.
“Sometimes it lets me down, but sometimes it really surprises me.”
Mathews concluded that AI may not be ideal at all drive-throughs, adding that at very busy locations where long lines form, a human may be more appropriate than the AI ordering system.
Taco Bell isn’t the only fast-food chain that has adopted the technology. McDonald’s also trialled the technology with International Business Machines (IBM), while KFC Australia has rolled out the technology at a limited number of locations in NSW.
The Mexican fast-food chain is also not the only company that has backed down on its AI commitments after they didn’t go to plan, with the Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA) rolling back AI-related job cuts after the technology failed to meet the standards of human teams.
In July, the bank announced that it would be culling at least 45 customer service workers and replacing them with AI support chatbots.
“Our investment in technology, including AI, is making it easier and faster for customers to get help, especially in our call centres,” a CBA spokesman said regarding the voice bot.
“By automating simple queries, our teams can focus on more complex customer queries that need empathy and experience.
“To meet the changing needs of our customers ... we review the skills we need and how we’re organised to deliver the best customer experiences and outcomes. That means some roles and work can change.”
However, it turns out CBA’s claims of the AI lowering call volumes were false, with Finance Sector Union (FSU) members reporting that volumes were increasing, leading to CBA management asking team leaders to pick up the phones and the company offering overtime.
Following major pressure from FSU members and a Fair Work Commission dispute, the CBA decided to roll back the mass termination. Staff are being offered their jobs back or the option to take a voluntary exit payment.
“This is a massive win for workers, proving what can be achieved when members stand together – but let’s be clear, this is no victory lap,” said FSU national secretary Julia Angrisano.
“CBA has been caught out trying to dress up job cuts as innovation. Using AI as a cover for slashing secure jobs is a cynical cost-cutting exercise, and workers know it.”
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