OpenAI Pentagon AI Contract Adds Safeguards Amid Anthropic Dispute 
Nintendo Share Sale: MUFG and Bank of Kyoto to Sell Stakes in Strategic Unwinding 
Federal Judge Blocks Virginia Social Media Age Verification Law Over First Amendment Concerns 
Trump Pushes Tech Giants to Build Power Plants to Offset AI Data Center Energy Costs 
Australian Job Advertisements Hit 16-Month High as Labour Market Stays Resilient 
Australia Targets AI Platforms With Strict Age Verification Rules 
Flare, Xaman Roll Out One-Click DeFi Vault for XRP Yield via XRPL Wallets 
Asian Markets Slide as Nvidia Earnings, U.S.-Iran Tensions and AI Valuations Weigh on Investor Sentiment 
The strikes on Iran show why quitting oil is more important than ever 
MOEX Russia Index Hits 3-Month High as Energy Stocks Lead Gains 
Samsung and SK Hynix Shares Hit Record Highs as Nvidia Earnings Boost AI Chip Demand 
Trump Warns Iran as Gulf Conflict Disrupts Oil Markets and Global Trade 
Meta Signs Multi-Billion Dollar AI Chip Deal With Google to Power Next-Gen AI Models 
Pentagon Weighs Supply Chain Risk Designation for Anthropic Over Claude AI Use 
Global Markets React as Dollar Surges, Swiss Franc Rallies After U.S.-Israel Strike on Iran 
Trump Orders Federal Agencies to Halt Use of Anthropic AI Technology 
Venezuela Oil Exports to Reach $2 Billion Under U.S.-Led Supply Agreement 
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
