CHARLOTTE, N.C. —
Artificial intelligence is slowly taking over the drive-thru.
Let's connect the dots.
Whether you've noticed or not, restaurants from Wendy's to White Castle have been using small amounts of A.I. in their drive-thrus for years.
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Wendy's CEO said the slowest part of the drive-thru is the ordering station. A.I. is able to cut down wait times by automating orders, relieving overworked employees, and filling in the holes at short-staffed restaurants.
As more and more restaurants use A.I., tech experts warn employees may soon be out of a job. A.I. can work long hours, without pay, or insurance.
The technology has major hiccups and is still in the early stages of development. A.I. is unable to hear customers in noisy environments, like when kids are in the car or music is playing.
Right now, there is not enough data to show whether customers prefer A.I. over human employees. But experts say by the time the data is gathered, A.I. may have already taken over.
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