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Yum Brands, the parent company of Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, KFC, and Habit Burger & Grill, has announced a partnership with Nvidia that will mean AI-powered drive through ordering.
Some 500 Taco Bell restaurants are set to implement the system in the second quarter of 2025. The move is part of the firm’s broader effort to transition all food orders to digital channels, a strategy aimed at boosting sales and improving customer service.
Expanding AI applications
In addition to voice-ordering, Yum plans to adopt AI solutions for various operational improvements, including computer vision technology to identify order errors and AI tools that analyze online customer feedback to generate actionable insights for restaurant managers.
Joe Park, Yum Brands' Chief Digital and Technology Officer, emphasized that building these systems marks a strategic shift. "We want to own the intellectual property. We want to own the technology," Park said. He added that building internally with Nvidia’s technology reduced costs and improved scalability.
Nvidia's AI tools will support Yum's 2,000-strong technology team in creating solutions that harness the power of Nvidia GPUs, while also providing guidance on maximizing computing efficiency. The resulting applications will be integrated into Yum's proprietary 'Byte by Yum' platform.
Boosting digital sales
Yum's strategy is an ongoing focus on digital transformation. Digital channels currently account for more than 50% of the company's sales, up from 19% in 2019. Park stated that digital ordering typically results in higher customer spending due to upselling and personalized promotions.
"We love everything about digital sales," Park said. "The more we can create channels - whether voice-ordering, kiosks, or mobile apps- the more we can enhance customer engagement."
Despite the AI rollout, and the perceived threat to jobs, Park emphasized that in-store staff will remain essential, shifting their focus toward customer support and hospitality.
Yum is also exploring ways to improve order accuracy by leveraging computer vision solutions powered by Nvidia technology. The company is currently assessing whether existing CCTV systems can be adapted to verify if customer orders are correctly prepared.
"Order accuracy is a big problem that a lot of [quick-service restaurant] companies face," Park said. "We think there’s a lot of runway here to innovate," added Andrew Sun, Nvidia's director of AI business development for retail.
For employees of the fast food chains involved, it is likely to mean significant change to working practices, processes and, in the long term, despite claims to the contrary, is bound to have an effect on customer-facing roles.
