Verbal AI tech has advanced in leaps and bounds — not that you’d know it trying to talk to my Google Home, mind you — and the two companies have worked together to train up a system called FreshAI. This model understands the entire menu, including the street slang for certain orders, and it’s capable of having conversations — within a set of “guardrails” — as well as taking custom orders and answering questions. It integrates with the company’s point of sale systems and has been trained to follow the rules the company currently gives to its human drive thru window staff. Wendy’s will begin with a pilot program at a site in the Columbus, Ohio, area next month, expecting that some customers won’t realize they’re not talking to a human. From there, the company hopes to expand to include other drive-thru locations.
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