Chick-fil-A CEO draws line on AI: ‘Human to human’ hospitality means no AI voice ordering
Chick-fil-A CEO Andrew Cathy says that while his fast-food company is exploring artificial intelligence technology, including behind-the-scenes uses, it won't pursue AI voice ordering at its restaurants.
In an interview with CNBC, Cathy said his company will take a “human plus” approach to the technology at their chicken sandwich-centered restaurants.
“We think about all these new things into the future, about how will people want to receive food in the future?” Cathy told the outlet. “As you think about drone delivery and all the other kind of things that could be coming, it’s a fun time in the industry, to think about all the possibilities of what we can do to make a better experience for our guests.”
The Chick-fil-A head went on to explain that, while other fast-food companies are working with AI voice-ordering services at their drive-thrus, Cathy doesn't intend to pursue it.
“From our experience, we really want that hospitality to be human to human,” Cathy told CNBC. “We’re not going to substitute that interaction with technology, because we feel like that hospitality is so important to create that warm environment for consumers.”
A company representative would not say whether Cathy's remarks amount to a permanent commitment or could change, Savor Nation reported.
Last month, McDonald's announced at a company investor day that it would deploy an AI-powered system called ArchIQ to run its restaurants. ArchIQ will be used for drive-thru voice AI, automated inventory tracking, connected equipment and order accuracy, Restaurant Dive reported.
Brian Rice, executive vice president and global chief information officer at McDonald's, explained that ArchIQ enables Archy, the company's drive-thru voice AI technology. Archy takes orders in English and Spanish with accuracy above 90%, Rice said, though the figures are self-reported and unaudited, PYMNTS noted. Archy is not McDonald's first attempt at AI drive-thru ordering, Inc. reported.
“In our early test restaurants with Archy, drive-thru customer satisfaction is above national trends,” Rice said, according to Restaurant Dive. “As Archy scales, it will free at least 50 labor hours per week. This is one of the most significant and tangible benefits of ArchIQ.”
Rice also spoke about how the fast-food company’s sales system has been able to move McDonald’s from a “fragmented, bespoke local systems to a consistent platform built for rapid innovation.”
“This allows our AI models to make accurate split-second decisions,” continued Rice. “By interconnecting the operational heartbeat of over 46,000 restaurants worldwide, our data lake captures billions of data points daily.”
Founded by a devout Southern Baptist family and known for not operating on Sundays, Chick-fil-A has often been ranked among the most popular fast-food restaurants in the United States.
In June, after 11 years as No. 1 on the annual American Customer Satisfaction Index Restaurant and Food Delivery Study, Chick-fil-A ranked a close second behind Jersey Mike’s.
