Latest news with #GTCconference
Yahoo
21-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
AI could take your next drive-through order. Taco Bell parent Yum Brands and Nvidia's partnership explained
Fast food customers might find themselves talking to an artificial intelligence voice the next time they order tacos or pizza at a drive-through. Yum Brands Inc., the parent company of Irvine-based Taco Bell and other popular fast food chains such as Pizza Hut, KFC and Habit Burger & Grill, has teamed up with tech juggernaut Nvidia to advance the development of AI in the restaurant industry. The fast food giant, based in Kentucky, announced the partnership this week at Nvidia's GTC conference, the chipmaker's annual developer conference. Billed as the Super Bowl of AI, the event attracted thousands to San Jose. Restaurants have been experimenting with technology, including AI voices and robots that could shape the industry's future. The race to release new AI tools has raised familiar questions about whether technology will replace certain jobs or create new ones. With food delivery apps making it easy to order meals from various restaurants without leaving the house, the competition continues to heat up. Read more: Robots can make your fries, salads and guacamole. Is this the future of fast food? 'Over the last five years, the world's accelerated into digital. The restaurant industry is no different,' Joe Park, chief digital and technology officer of Yum Brands, told an audience at a GTC session Tuesday. Digital sales make up more than 50% of the company's total sales, up from 19% in 2019, he said. The world's largest restaurant company plans to use Nvidia's technology to power more AI agents that can take orders at drive-throughs and call centers, according to a news release from Yum Brands. AI-powered tools can also analyze a vast amount of data to improve drive-through efficiency and back-of-the-house labor management. Yum Brands, which has its own technology platform, is also using AI to assess a restaurant's performance and generate action plans for restaurant managers as they learn more about why certain locations perform well. Nvidia offers products that allow businesses to build or speed up the development of AI systems that can converse with people and perform tasks. Yum Brands started piloting AI tools at some Taco Bell and Pizza Hut restaurants in the United States. The company plans to roll out AI solutions in 500 restaurants across Pizza Hut, Taco Bell, KFC and Habit Burger during the second quarter. The company has more than 61,000 restaurant locations. Yum Brands said it isn't sharing the location of its pilots and didn't disclose the terms of the partnership. Nvidia didn't respond to a request for comment. By making fast food ordering even faster. AI could speed up the time it takes for a person to order food at a drive-through or call center, especially during big events like game days when demand could surge at popular restaurants. Park said at GTC that AI could also improve the customer experience because "the voice AI is always positive, has the right tone of voice, has the right word selection, can upsell consistently." On average, the total amount of time a customer spends in a drive-through is 5 minutes and 29 seconds, according to a 2024 drive-through study by Intouch Insights. The study, which involved shoppers placing orders at the drive-throughs of fast food restaurants, found that only 4% of visits involved AI technology, but the total time spent was faster by 29 seconds. The use of AI for ordering food is still experimental. Yum Brands said its digital and technology strategy aims "to better serve its franchisees, providing them with better, faster, cheaper and safer technology while delighting consumers and maximizing shareholder returns." Yes. Last year, Taco Bell said it rolled out voice AI technology in more than 100 of its drive-throughs across 13 states and planned to use them in hundreds of locations. "Benefits include easing task load for team members, improving order accuracy, providing a consistent, friendly experience, and reducing wait times, while driving profitable growth for Taco Bell, Yum! Brands and their franchisees," Taco Bell said in its news release. Wendy's, White Castle, Panda Express, McDonald's and other fast food restaurants have also been trying out AI-powered voice ordering. The pilots don't always go off without a hitch. Some customers have complained on social media, posting videos about problems they've encountered with order accuracy at drive-throughs with AI voices. As restaurants train these AI systems, they're anticipating they'll get better over time. Last year, McDonald's ended its partnership with IBM and planned to remove AI ordering from more than 100 restaurants, according to an internal email obtained by trade publication Restaurant Business in June. The fast food chain suggested it still thought AI drive-throughs would be part of the future and it was looking for a new partner. Sign up for our Wide Shot newsletter to get the latest entertainment business news, analysis and insights. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. Sign in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
21-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
AI could take your next drive-through order. Taco Bell parent Yum Brands and Nvidia's partnership explained
Fast food customers might find themselves talking to an artificial intelligence voice the next time they order tacos or pizza at a drive-through. Yum Brands Inc., the parent company of Irvine-based Taco Bell and other popular fast food chains such as Pizza Hut, KFC and Habit Burger & Grill, has teamed up with tech juggernaut Nvidia to advance the development of AI in the restaurant industry. The fast food giant, based in Kentucky, announced the partnership this week at Nvidia's GTC conference, the chipmaker's annual developer conference. Billed as the Super Bowl of AI, the event attracted thousands to San Jose. Restaurants have been experimenting with technology, including AI voices and robots that could shape the industry's future. The race to release new AI tools has raised familiar questions about whether technology will replace certain jobs or create new ones. With food delivery apps making it easy to order meals from various restaurants without leaving the house, the competition continues to heat up. Read more: Robots can make your fries, salads and guacamole. Is this the future of fast food? 'Over the last five years, the world's accelerated into digital. The restaurant industry is no different,' Joe Park, chief digital and technology officer of Yum Brands, told an audience at a GTC session Tuesday. Digital sales make up more than 50% of the company's total sales, up from 19% in 2019, he said. The world's largest restaurant company plans to use Nvidia's technology to power more AI agents that can take orders at drive-throughs and call centers, according to a news release from Yum Brands. AI-powered tools can also analyze a vast amount of data to improve drive-through efficiency and back-of-the-house labor management. Yum Brands, which has its own technology platform, is also using AI to assess a restaurant's performance and generate action plans for restaurant managers as they learn more about why certain locations perform well. Nvidia offers products that allow businesses to build or speed up the development of AI systems that can converse with people and perform tasks. Yum Brands started piloting AI tools at some Taco Bell and Pizza Hut restaurants in the United States. The company plans to roll out AI solutions in 500 restaurants across Pizza Hut, Taco Bell, KFC and Habit Burger during the second quarter. The company has more than 61,000 restaurant locations. Yum Brands said it isn't sharing the location of its pilots and didn't disclose the terms of the partnership. Nvidia didn't respond to a request for comment. By making fast food ordering even faster. AI could speed up the time it takes for a person to order food at a drive-through or call center, especially during big events like game days when demand could surge at popular restaurants. Park said at GTC that AI could also improve the customer experience because "the voice AI is always positive, has the right tone of voice, has the right word selection, can upsell consistently." On average, the total amount of time a customer spends in a drive-through is 5 minutes and 29 seconds, according to a 2024 drive-through study by Intouch Insights. The study, which involved shoppers placing orders at the drive-throughs of fast food restaurants, found that only 4% of visits involved AI technology, but the total time spent was faster by 29 seconds. The use of AI for ordering food is still experimental. Yum Brands said its digital and technology strategy aims "to better serve its franchisees, providing them with better, faster, cheaper and safer technology while delighting consumers and maximizing shareholder returns." Yes. Last year, Taco Bell said it rolled out voice AI technology in more than 100 of its drive-throughs across 13 states and planned to use them in hundreds of locations. "Benefits include easing task load for team members, improving order accuracy, providing a consistent, friendly experience, and reducing wait times, while driving profitable growth for Taco Bell, Yum! Brands and their franchisees," Taco Bell said in its news release. Wendy's, White Castle, Panda Express, McDonald's and other fast food restaurants have also been trying out AI-powered voice ordering. The pilots don't always go off without a hitch. Some customers have complained on social media, posting videos about problems they've encountered with order accuracy at drive-throughs with AI voices. As restaurants train these AI systems, they're anticipating they'll get better over time. Last year, McDonald's ended its partnership with IBM and planned to remove AI ordering from more than 100 restaurants, according to an internal email obtained by trade publication Restaurant Business in June. The fast food chain suggested it still thought AI drive-throughs would be part of the future and it was looking for a new partner. Sign up for our Wide Shot newsletter to get the latest entertainment business news, analysis and insights. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. Sign in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
18-03-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Nvidia and GM are partnering to build self-driving cars
General Motors (GM) will rely on Nvidia's (NVDA) artificial intelligence expertise to build its next generation of cars. Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang announced the partnership at the company's annual GTC conference in San Jose, California on Tuesday. 'I'm super excited to announce that GM has selected Nvidia to partner with them to build their future self-driving car fleet,' Huang said. GM will use Nvidia's Drive AGX platform, an in-vehicle computer that delivers 'up to 1,000 trillion operations per second of high performance computer,' and includes hardware and software to develop autonomous driving functions as well as immersive in-cabin experiences, according to the press release. The automotive giant will build its next-generation vehicles on the platform, which Nvidia says will speed the development and deployment of safe autonomous vehicles at scale. GM has already been investing in Nvidia graphics processing units for AI model training. As of Tuesday's announcement, the two companies will expand their partnership to work together to build custom systems to train AI manufacturing models. That also includes optimizing GM's automotive plant design and operations. To do so, GM will use the Nvidia Omniverse platform to create digital twins of their assembly lines, which will allow for virtual vehicle testing and production simulations. Nvidia will also help GM train robotics platforms already in use for operations, such as precision welding and material handling and transport. 'AI not only optimizes manufacturing processes and accelerates virtual testing but also helps us build smarter vehicles while empowering our workforce to focus on craftsmanship,' GM chair and CEO Mary Barra said in a press release. 'By merging technology with human ingenuity, we unlock new levels of innovation in vehicle manufacturing and beyond.' GM became the first automaker to offer hands-free driving with the introduction of its Super Cruise advanced driver assistance system in 2017. While the hands-free cars are not completely self-driving cars since the driver might be required to take control if needed, they are a significant step in that direction. Still, the automaker has faced a bumpy road in the world of autonomous driving. In December, the company's robotaxi service, Cruise, was forced to shut down operations. The decision came on the heels of an external probe into the company for misleading regulators about a 2023 incident in which one of the company's robotaxis in San Francisco hit a pedestrian. Regardless, the company is optimistic about its path toward delivering safe autonomous vehicles for personal use. 'The work we're doing with companies like Nvidia adds agility to our already highly sophisticated vehicle design, engineering, and manufacturing processes,' GM said in the press release. 'By further integrating physical and industrial AI applications (including digital twins, simulation, and robotics) we continue to optimize manufacturing, accelerate virtual testing, and ultimately build smarter, more connected vehicles for our customers.' For the latest news, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Yahoo
18-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Semiconductor Stocks Tumble as Nvidia GTC Nears
Semiconductor stocks fell on Tuesday morning as investors awaited key updates from Nvidia (NVDA, Financial) during its annual GTC conference, which runs from March 17 to 21. Nvidia shares dropped about 2.2% ahead of CEO Jensen Huang's keynote address scheduled for 1 p.m. EST. The address is expected to cover topics including a new generation of AI accelerators, likely codenamed Rubin after American astronomer Vera Rubin. Warning! GuruFocus has detected 3 Warning Signs with NVDA. Analysts noted that Rubin's rollout could set a pace of one new GPU line annually. Last year, Nvidia introduced its Blackwell series, though production issues persisted. Truist analyst William Stein remarked that increased visibility into medium-term customer spending would be a positive catalyst for the stock. Other semiconductor peers, including AMD (AMD, Financial), Marvell (MRVL, Financial) and Broadcom (AVGO, Financial), also declined by about 1% as market sentiment remained cautious. Investors remain cautious ahead of additional industry announcements. This article first appeared on GuruFocus. Sign in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
17-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Nvidia GTC 2025: What to expect from Nvidia's biggest event of the year
Nvidia (NVDA) kicks off its annual GTC conference on March 18 with a keynote by CEO Jensen Huang from the SAP Center in San Jose, Calif. The event, which runs through March 21, will feature workshops and training for developers and engineers, panels and discussions related to AI and robotics, and exhibits from companies showing off how they're using Nvidia's products in the real world. Huang is expected to debut the company's latest flagship AI chip: the Blackwell Ultra. A souped-up version of Nvidia's existing Blackwell chip, Blackwell Ultra should get a performance boost over last year's chip to further speed up training and running AI models. We should also learn more about Nvidia's next-generation GPU platform, dubbed Rubin, and the successor to its Grace line of CPUs, Vera. The combined superchip will be called Vera Rubin, named for the American astronomer, and will take the place of the current Grace Blackwell superchip at the top of Nvidia's hierarchy of AI processors. During Nvidia's fourth quarter earnings call, Huang teased that he'd also discuss the follow-up to Rubin. Nvidia, like most chip companies, is known for providing a broad look at its roadmap to help customers and developers prepare for their upcoming products. In addition to Nvidia's future chips, Huang will dive into the company's latest software updates around its CUDA platform, simulation technologies, and more. During last year's event, Haung talked up Nvidia's software efforts around humanoid robots. And with the company set to host a panel dedicated to the topic, you can expect the CEO to provide even more details about Nvidia's push into the humanoid robotics race. The company will also host its first Quantum Day during GTC, which will include a panel discussion between Huang and executives from quantum computing companies including Alice & Bob, D-Wave (QBTS), IonQ (IONQ), Rigetti (RGTI), and SEEQC. Read more: How does Nvidia make money? Huang made waves in January when he said practical quantum computers are still between 15 and 30 years away from becoming a reality, sending quantum computing stocks lower. Amazon (AMZN), Microsoft (MSFT), and Google (GOOG, GOOGL) each announced their own quantum computing chips over the past few months, driving increased interest in the technology. Google CEO Sundar Pichai says practical quantum computers are likely five to 10 years away. Predicting when future technologies will reach maturity is a fraught exercise, and even quantum computing scientists are torn over when a quantum computer will prove truly useful. Still, the conversation between Huang and leaders at quantum companies should prove interesting. Nvidia is contending with a host of issues ranging from fears over potential tariffs on semiconductors imported to the US to additional export controls on GPUs destined for China. Then there's the rise of DeepSeek's R-1 AI model, which the Chinese company said it trained using less-powerful Nvidia chips. That has fed into Wall Street's growing apprehension over AI spending and a return on those heavy investments in the technology by companies including Microsoft, Amazon, Google, and Meta. Shares of Nvidia were off 13% year to date as of Thursday. Still, the company's stock price is up 28% over the past 12 months. Huang, however, has pushed back against those fears, saying that "thinking" AI models like DeepSeek's provide better responses to users' queries when they run on more powerful chips. Chances are the CEO will bring up his thoughts on the topic during his keynote. Email Daniel Howley at dhowley@ Follow him on Twitter at @DanielHowley. Sign in to access your portfolio
