Yum Brands, the parent company of Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, KFC, and Habit Burger & Grill, is teaming up with Nvidia to boost its artificial intelligence-powered technology at its restaurants which will soon be equipped with voice-activated order-taking at drive thrus.
Over the coming months, several advanced AI-driven solutions will be introduced across Yum Brands locations, according to the company.
One of the major implementations will be voice-activated order-taking AI, which will manage drive-thru orders and call center operations — improving accuracy and efficiency.
Designed to understand natural speech, the AI can adapt to customer preferences and menu changes in real time.
Another innovation includes computer vision-enhanced operations, where Nvidia’s cutting-edge computer vision tools will optimize restaurant workflows by providing real-time insights.
These tools will streamline drive-thru services and improve kitchen operations through data-driven alerts and analysis.
AI-powered analytics will also be leveraged to evaluate restaurant performance, providing managers with personalized action plans based on insights from high-performing locations.
This intelligence will aid decision-making and operational adjustments to maximize efficiency, according to Yum Brands.
“This partnership will help us tap into the rich consumer and operational data sets on our Byte by Yum platform to build smarter AI systems, making experiences easier for both our customers and team members,” said Joe Park, chief digital & technology officer at Yum Brands.
Initial testing is already underway at select Taco Bell and Pizza Hut locations in the US.
The company plans to roll out the AI-driven technology to 500 restaurants across its brands by the second quarter of the year.
These innovations will be fully integrated into Byte by Yum, the company’s proprietary digital platform launched earlier this year.
Byte serves as a central hub for online and mobile ordering, payments, inventory and labor management.
Over time, Yum Brands has phased out older systems, consolidating all digital operations under Byte to streamline restaurant management.
It is unclear whether the company plans to lay off workers whose jobs could be performed by AI-powered technology. The Post has sought comment from Yum Brands.
AI is expected to displace millions of jobs worldwide in the coming years, with estimates ranging from 400 million to 800 million workers needing to transition to new roles by 2030.
In the US, AI-driven automation has already contributed to layoffs, particularly in tech and customer service sectors. Some studies suggest up to 38% of jobs could be at high risk.
However, AI is also expected to create new opportunities, especially in fields like machine learning and data science — with demand for AI specialists projected to grow significantly.
Some researchers argue that AI will primarily transform jobs rather than eliminate them, with only a small percentage of positions being completely replaced.
Last year, McDonald’s ended an AI pilot program at 100 locations after customers complained about errant drive thru orders.
