Taco Bell admits its AI drive-thru is kind of bad
2025-08-29
The A.V. Club
The information displayed in the AIM should not be reported as representing the official views of the OECD or of its member countries.
Taco Bell deployed AI-powered drive-thru order systems at over 500 locations, but the technology struggled with glitches, customer trolling, and incorrect orders, leading to customer frustration and operational disruptions. The company is reconsidering its approach, acknowledging that the AI has not matched human performance and requires further refinement.[AI generated]
Why's our monitor labelling this an incident or hazard?
The article explicitly mentions AI voice ordering systems being used and malfunctioning, causing customer dissatisfaction and a concrete example of a customer being charged over $15,000, which is a clear financial harm to a person. The AI system's malfunction is directly linked to this harm, fitting the definition of an AI Incident involving harm to a person (financial harm).[AI generated]