Taco Bell is rethinking its experiment with artificial intelligence after a string of drive-through glitches went viral. The fast-food chain has been testing AI voice technology at over 500 locations across the US since 2023, but recent viral failures have prompted a major reassessment.
One widely shared clip on TikTok showed a customer ordering 18,000 cups of water, crashing the system. Another video posted on Instagram, with more than 21 million views, featured a man asking for a large Mountain Dew — only for the AI to loop back with “and what will you drink with that?” over and over.
The technology was supposed to reduce mistakes and speed up orders. Instead, it has drawn complaints and ridicule online.
“Sometimes it lets me down, but sometimes it really surprises me,” Taco Bell Chief Digital and Technology Officer Dane Mathews told The Wall Street Journal. He said the company is learning where the tech works and where humans are still the better option. Mathews added that employees will now be coached on when to use the voice AI and when to step in themselves, especially during peak hours.
The AI glitches mirror what McDonald’s ran into last year when it pulled back its own drive-through AI after orders went haywire. Customers ended up with bacon in ice cream or hundreds of dollars worth of chicken nuggets by mistake.
Even with the stumbles, Taco Bell says the system has handled more than two million orders since launch. What remains to be seen is whether these successes outweigh the viral failures.