Latest news with #JoePark
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
Los Angeles Times
21-03-2025
- Business
- Los Angeles Times
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. '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.
Associated Press
03-03-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
Web3 ai Newnal Launches at Mobile World Congress 2025
Mobile World Congress — This afternoon at Mobile World Congress 2025 (MWC), Newnal Inc. will unveil another global breakthrough in personal blockchain and AI innovation, the Newnal personal AI operating system (OS). Built on a web3 foundation, Newnal's blockchain-based OS can be embedded and accessed via any device. Newnal gives people the power to design, drive and protect the experiences and opportunities they care about the most. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: Newnal Co-CEOs Bezalel Lim and Joe Park with first Newnal devices at Mobile World Congress 2025. (Photo: Business Wire) 'With Newnal ai, each of us can now create another 'I',' said founder and Chief Creative Officer YT Kim, 'The last generation of technology underserved humanity. Web3 ai Newnal gives the power of creativity and experience back to people, allowing each of us to enhance our lives in ways that we could only have imagined in the past. It's AI focused on our hearts.' Newnal's launch at MWC will demonstrate the power and personalization that the AI OS allows – giving attendees a chance to reimagine their lives and experiences in a new context, shaped by their own traits, disposition and circumstances. The use cases that will be shared with MWC attendees will showcase how much more unique and special experiences in life can be when AI is rooted in human individuality. To make it easy for people to tap its power, Newnal ai has also been embedded in its own proprietary mobile devices that unite its users' personal AI OS with today's most popular smartphone functionalities, ranging from interpersonal communications, social networking, shopping and search. The power of the integration is extraordinary, as Newnal ai gives users the ability to optimize and enhance their lives in a virtually unlimited number of ways. In contrast with other AI like ChatGPT, Gemini or Siri, users own and train Web3 ai Newnal on their own data versus web data. As a result, no two user experiences are the same. To learn more about Web3 ai Newnal, please visit Mobile World Congress attendees, journalists and analysts are also invited to demonstrations and private events throughout the week. Web3 ai Newnal is a blockchain-based personal AI operating system (OS) that can be embedded and accessed via any device and gives people the power to design, drive and protect the experiences and opportunities they care about the most. Built on a web3 foundation, Web3 ai Newnal was created by Newnal Inc., known for its blockchain solutions that address real-world challenges and enhance data security and privacy. Newnal's purpose is to leverage technology for the betterment of humanity and to create a brighter future. Lana McGilvray Purpose Worldwide for Newnal, Inc. KEYWORD: SPAIN EUROPE SOURCE: Newnal Inc. PUB: 03/03/2025 06:22 AM/DISC: 03/03/2025 06:22 AM
