Pizza Hut and Taco Bell are rolling out “AI-first” fast-food innovations

According to report, Yum! Brands, the company that runs the KFC, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell, and The Habit Burger Grill restaurants, is embracing technology and has plans to create “AI-powered” fast food.

Yum’s chief digital and technology manager Joe Park told the newspaper that the company has been growing its investment in technology and automation. Approximately 45%, or $30 billion, of sales are now digital, nearly twice as much as they were in 2019. That is about twice as much as what it was in 2019.

According to Park, “our vision of [quick-service restaurants] is that an AI-first mentality works every step of the way,” as reported by the Wall Street Journal. “If you think about the major journeys within a restaurant that can be AI-powered, we believe it’s endless.”

According to the Journal, most restaurant operators are turning to artificial intelligence (AI) to reduce costs and boost sales as a result of California’s new minimum wage law, which goes into effect on Monday and pays most fast-food workers $20 per hour.

The application of AI by massive fast-food chains like Yum aims to do more than just enhance customer experience.

SuperApp, a smartphone applications developed by Yum for restaurant managers, is reportedly exploring generative AI, according to the Wall Street Journal. It enables team members to ask operational queries like how to adjust oven temperatures. Park told the Journal that in addition to being used to schedule employee shifts and buy supplies, the app is presently utilized by over 8.700 Pizza Hut and KFC locations. A new augmented reality component on the app may also be able to assist employees in learning how to create new menu items.

Park stated to the publication that franchise owners pay fees towards Yum’s AI investments, though the business did not disclose the exact amount of those costs.