NASA and SpaceX Target Crew-11 Undocking From ISS Amid Medical Concern 
SK Hynix Shares Hit Record High as AI Memory Demand Fuels Semiconductor Rally 
U.S. Stocks Slip as Gold Rebounds Ahead of Year-End, Markets Eye 2026 Outlook 
Discord Confidentially Files for U.S. IPO, Signaling Major Milestone 
U.S. Dollar Steadies Ahead of Fed Minutes as Markets Eye Policy Divisions 
Ford Targets Level 3 Autonomous Driving by 2028 with New EV Platform and AI Innovations 
UBS Upgrades L’Oréal to Buy, Sees Strong Sales Momentum and 20% Upside 
Asian Markets Slip as Precious Metals Cool, Geopolitical Tensions Weigh on Sentiment 
Samsung Electronics Hits Record High as AI Momentum Fuels Investor Optimism 
AustralianSuper Backs BlueScope Steel’s Rejection of $9 Billion Takeover Bid 
U.S. Dollar Slides Toward Biggest Annual Loss Since 2017 as 2026 Risks Loom 
Supreme Court to Hear Cisco Appeal on Alien Tort Statute and Human Rights Liability 
Singapore GDP Growth Surges in 2025 but Outlook Remains Cautious Amid Global Trade Risks 
Oil Prices Slip Slightly as Markets Weigh Geopolitical Risks and Supply Glut Concerns 
GM Takes $6 Billion EV Write-Down as Electric Vehicle Demand Slows in the U.S. 
South Korean Won Slides Despite Government Efforts to Stabilize Currency Markets 
Wendy's chain of restaurants revealed it has tapped Google Cloud to transform its drive-thru into an AI-powered facility where a chatbot will take the orders of the customers. The Wendy's FreshAI is set to be launched in June, and it will be in operation for testing.
The drive-thru ordering system that will use artificial intelligence will pilot in Wendy's Columbus branch in Ohio. The fast-food chain made the announcement for the launch and testing of its Wendy's FreshAI just this week.
The company said that it would expand the cutting-edge drive-thru experience based on the results and how the AI-ordering system performs. This means that Wendy's will only deploy the chatbot in the drive-thrus of its other restaurants if the pilot presents a very satisfying result.
In the meantime, customers in Columbus will experience first-hand how the artificial intelligence will take their orders for a Baconator, Salad, or Frosty. As per CBS News, the new AI at Wendy's drive-thru has the ability to handle a large part of the service, so even on busy days, it should be able to deliver what it was set to do.
Wendy's said about 75 to 80% of its customers buy their food through their drive-thru, so it is surely a hectic area in the restaurant. Still, the AI tool is expected to manage the workload and provide good service to customers.
Although Wendy's is not the first fast-food to get into the automated system, its partnership with Google Cloud for AI solution will revolutionize the quick service restaurant (QSR) industry since it can totally transform the burger joint's drive-thru ordering experience using the tech firm's generative artificial intelligence and large language models (LLMs) technologies.
"Wendy's introduced the first modern pick-up window in the industry more than 50 years ago, and we are thrilled to continue our work with Google Cloud to bring a new wave of innovation to the drive-thru experience," Wendy's president and chief executive officer, Todd Penegor, said in a press release. "Google Cloud's generative AI technology creates a huge opportunity for us to deliver a truly differentiated, faster and frictionless experience for our customers, and allows our employees to continue focusing on making great food and building relationships with fans that keep them coming back time and again."
Photo by: Batu Gezer/Unsplash
