Dairy Queen rolls out voice AI at dozens of drive-thrus across the US and Canada

Dairy Queen is becoming the next major fast-food chain betting on artificial intelligence at service points. The company announced a wide launch of a voice AI chatbot in dozens of drive-thrus across the United States and Canada. The technology was developed by Presto, one of the key AI suppliers for the restaurant sector.

Among its clients are already Carl's Jr., Hardee's, Taco John's, and Fazoli's. For Dairy Queen, this is a transition from pilot to full-scale deployment: the system was tested last year.

The officially stated goals of implementation are to reduce service time at the service window and, as formulated in the Wall Street Journal, "to encourage customers to add more dishes to their order." In other words, the AI should work not only as a cashier but also as an upsell tool. However, behind the facade of automation lies an ambiguous detail.

In 2023, Bloomberg discovered that Presto's voice systems in several establishments were in fact operating with the participation of live operators from countries such as the Philippines. An operator connects remotely if the AI cannot handle the order. This turns the "AI drive-thru" into a hybrid model where automation remains partial.

The trend is obvious: McDonald's, Wendy's, Taco Bell, and other giants are already experimenting with or deploying voice AI systems in service windows. The industry is seeking ways to reduce the burden on staff and speed up turnover during peak hours. The question is how "autonomous" this AI will prove to be in practice, and whether customers are willing to talk to a bot instead of a human when ordering a Blizzard on a hot day.