While 2021 was the year we were introduced to AI voice ordering in the drive-thru lane, 2022 became the year we started seeing the labor-saving technology everywhere. As it turns out, 2023 is likely going to be the year that AI voice technology is improved and perfected. For this month’s Tech Tracker column, Joanna fantozzi spoke with Soundhound about the tech company’s latest audiovisual AI technology for food ordering that more easily understands natural cadences of human speech. The goal? Less friction and frustration in the drive-thru lane as customers struggle to get a robot to understand their lunch order.
As labor continues to be a pain point for the restaurant industry, more operators are investing in AI and automation technology to alleviate some of that stress. Over the past couple of years, we’ve seen White Castle, Panera, McDonald’s, Sonic, and more invest in voice ordering AI for the drive-thru to improve speed and efficiency. But the technology still has a long way to go and is imperfect in understanding human dialect, slang and speech cadence.
Learn more from Joanna ahead.
