A Taco Bell customer was sick of dealing with the AI assistant at the drive-thru. So, he came up with an ingenious way to get a real person on the speaker every time.
Does Taco Bell use AI in its drive-thrus?
Taco Bell began expanding its use of voice chatbots in several drive-thru locations in 2024, according to a press release. Other chains like Carl’s Jr., Wendy’s, Pizza Hut, and KFC have experimented with AI in their drive-thrus as well.
While the fast food chain insisted that the “intuitive, user-friendly technology” would be able to “create a seamless ordering experience,” some customers had trouble with the new system.
Redditors on r/TacoBell said the new AI system has been a “nightmare.”
“Ordered Cheesy gordita supreme and chalupa supreme. Wanted onions on that, it interpreted it as I wanted 3x chalupa supreme,” one wrote. “I tried to replace meat w black beans and it wouldn’t listen. The line was already moving slowly.”
“I can tolerate TikTok and other drive-thru voices, but something about the Taco Bell AI makes me jump every time. It could just be the volume. I hate it. And it always gives me a real person anyway, even when I’m picking up a mobile order,” another said.
How can customers request a real person?
In a video posted by TikToker Kristine Alise (@kristinealise), one man tried a hack to get a real worker on the line quickly.
“One thousand waters,” the man told the AI agent, which quickly replied, “Let me get a team member to help you” to the bizarre request.
@kristinealise No way 😂 #tacobell #ai #aiordering ♬ original sound – Kristine Alise 💗🎀🩷
When the human worker hopped on the line, he placed his order as usual.
Commenters praised his hack and shared how they get the attention of human workers at AI-powered Taco Bells.
“I just sit there until someone answers bc I don’t care about your drive-thru timer,” one wrote.
“All you have to do is say you’re checking in with the app, and AI doesn’t know what the hell to do,” another said.
“I literally say hey and the team member takes over the AI,” a third added.
The Daily Dot reached out to Alise for further comment.
The internet is chaotic—but we’ll break it down for you in one daily email. Sign up for the Daily Dot’s web_crawlr newsletter here to get the best (and worst) of the internet straight into your inbox.
