Taco Bell is having second thoughts about relying on AI at the drive-through  | TechCrunch –:–:–:– Disrupt 2026: OpenAI, Anthropic, Replit, and more take over 6 industry stages. 25% off tickets now Disrupt ticket savings of up to $200 + 50% off a second ends Sept 25, 11:59 p.m. PT. REGISTER HERE. Close TechCrunch Desktop Logo TechCrunch Mobile Logo Latest Startups Venture Apple Security AI Apps Disrupt 2026 Events Podcasts Newsletters Search Submit Site Search Toggle Mega Menu Toggle Topics Latest AI Amazon Apps Biotech & Health Climate Cloud Computing Commerce Crypto Enterprise EVs Fintech Fundraising Gadgets Gaming Google Government & Policy Hardware Instagram Layoffs Media & Entertainment Meta Microsoft Privacy Robotics Security Social Space Startups TikTok Transportation Venture More from TechCrunch Staff Events Startup Battlefield StrictlyVC Newsletters Podcasts Videos Partner Content TechCrunch Brand Studio Contact Us In Brief Posted: 9:50 AM PDT · August 30, 2025 Image Credits: Mike Kemp (opens in a new window) / Getty Images Anthony Ha Taco Bell is having second thoughts about relying on AI at the drive-through  Taco Bell’s chief digital officer says the company is having an “active conversation” about when to use and not use AI. The company has apparently rolled out voice AI-powered ordering at more than 500 drive-throughs, leading to unflattering viral moments like someone ordering 18,000 water cups in order to “bypass” the AI and get connected to a human server. Chief digital and technology officer Dane Matthews told The Wall Street Journal that even he has mixed experiences with the technology: “Sometimes it lets me down, but sometimes it really surprises me.” Overall, it sounds like Taco Bell is still deciding how broadly to deploy AI at the drive-through, with leeway for different franchisees to do things their own way. For example, rather than relying on AI exclusively, Matthews said it might make sense to have a human handle drive-through orders at busy restaurants with long lines. “For our teams, we’ll help coach them: at your restaurant, at these times, we recommend you use voice AI or recommend that you actually really monitor voice AI and jump in as necessary,” he said. Topics AI , In Brief , taco bell October 13 – 15 San Francisco Your next big connection is at Disrupt. Connect with 10,000+ founders, VCs, operators, and tech leaders. Explore tomorrow’s breakthroughs, hear what’s shaping tech today, and save up to $200 by Sept. 25 at 11:59 p.m. PT. BOOK NOW Newsletters See More Subscribe for the industry’s biggest tech news TechCrunch Daily News Every weekday and Sunday, you can get the best of TechCrunch’s coverage. TechCrunch Mobility TechCrunch Mobility is your destination for transportation news and insight. Startups Weekly Startups are the core of TechCrunch, so get our best coverage delivered weekly. StrictlyVC Provides movers and shakers with the info they need to start their day. No newsletters selected. Subscribe By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Notice . Related Social Meta introduces camera-free AI glasses Sarah Perez 1 day ago AI Anthropic says its biology lab has already found something big Julie Bort 2 days ago AI YouTube releases new AI features for creators within its Studio app Ivan Mehta 2 days ago Latest in AI Venture Lightspeed targets $250M for new India fund, focusing on early-stage AI Jagmeet Singh 6 hours ago TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 Bring your co-founder, partner, or colleague and get 50% off a second TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 pass TechCrunch Events 15 hours ago In Brief PrismML brings its tiny LLMs to Qualcomm-powered smart glasses Julie Bort 16 hours ago X LinkedIn Facebook Instagram youTube Mastodon Threads Bluesky TechCrunch Staff Contact Us Advertise Site Map Terms of Service Privacy Policy RSS Terms of Use Code of Conduct OpenAI Hugging Face Flock Startup Battlefield Disrupt 2026 Tech Layoffs ChatGPT © 2026 TechCrunch Media LLC.