A peek inside KFC Australia’s voice AI drive-thru technology

KFC plans to commit to more sites depending on its evaluation.

KFC Australia is taking a more measured approach when it comes to AI technology in drive-thrus with the brand saying that it plans to evaluate and optimise the technology in line with team members and customer feedback before committing to more sites in the future.

In May, Yum! Brands announced the expansion of its AI voice tech trials in the US to 30 locations. When June came, it announced its goal to launch ‘hundreds’ of AI voice drive-thru locations. It currently has 100 restaurants testing the technology in 13 states in the US.

Along with the announcement was the first international trial of its technology which five restaurants in Australia were participating in.

“Transforming the restaurant experience through innovation is a core focus for both Yum! And KFC Australia,” Kristi Woolrych, General Manager at KFC SOPAC said. 

Woolrych said that after the trials by Taco Bell, they felt that it was the perfect opportunity to bring it to Australia.

“Innovation to support and elevate the KFC restaurant experience for both customers and team members is a core focus for KFC Australia. We know our team members are key to delivering a great experience. Our aim is for every drive-thru experience to deliver fast, friendly service and delicious chicken, enabled by technology,” Woolrych said.

The voice AI technology will act as an assistant to restaurant teams by streamlining the order process. The idea is to allow staff to focus on order preparation and engage with customers when they collect their orders at the pick-up window.

The technology will also ensure order accuracy whilst providing a consistent, friendly experience, and reducing wait times, 

“The technology captures fluid speech in real-time and confirms requests via audio and visuals live with the customer, whilst also allowing for customers to modify their orders with any upgrades and complex changes,” Woolrych said.

Challenges

Taking the measured approach is a good strategy as some fast-food brands have yet to make AI drive-thrus work. In June, McDonald’s announced the end of its Automated Order Taker, an AI technology that was launched in partnership with IBM. However, the fast food giant says that the tech is still part of its ‘future’.

For KFC Australia, Woolrych said they will continue to evaluate and fine-tune the technology accordingly.

“Whilst the technology knows the KFC menu back to front, as this is a trial, there may be some scenarios where the technology is still learning,” Woolrych said.

Last year, Yum!’s digital sales approached $30b with over 50% of its sales coming through digital channels as of the first quarter of 2024.