Dairy Queen is joining the fast food AI wave, bringing chatbots to drive-thrus across the US and Canada. The tech comes from Presto, which already powers AI ordering at Carl's Jr., Hardee's, Taco John's, and Fazoli's.
The goal is twofold: speed up service and nudge customers to add more items to their orders. After testing last year, DQ is now rolling this out widely.
Here's the catch. A 2023 Bloomberg report revealed that Presto's AI drive-thrus aren't purely AI. They're often assisted by human workers based in places like the Philippines. So that voice taking your order might be part algorithm, part person halfway around the world.
For anyone building or using AI tools, this is a reminder that "AI-powered" doesn't always mean fully automated. Many AI systems still rely on human oversight or intervention, especially in customer-facing roles where mistakes are costly.
The fast food industry is betting big on AI to handle labor shortages and boost sales. Whether customers notice the difference, or care about the human-in-the-loop reality, remains to be seen.
