Lead With AI The AI That's Already Taking Your Drive-Thru Order (And You Don't Even Know It)
Jul 15, 2025
In a captivating chat, Krishna Gupta, co-founder of Presto and AI voice tech innovator, dives into how AI is seamlessly taking drive-thru orders across the U.S. He discusses his unique 'neuro-symbolic' approach that enhances order accuracy while reducing customer confusion. Gupta highlights the impressive ability of voice AI to personalize customer experiences without compromising privacy. He even foresees a future where AI companions become commonplace. The conversation is a delightful blend of technology and humanity in the evolving restaurant landscape.
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Pandemic and AI Breakthroughs Spark Innovation
- The COVID pandemic accelerated drive-thru demand and enabled voice AI adoption in restaurants.
- Advances in large language models in 2020 made conversational AI viable for real-world applications.
CEO's Experience With Drive-Thru AI
- The CEO of Taco John's personally worked the AI drive-thru and felt it made her job easier and better.
- Employees began treating the AI as a team member, relying on it for order taking duties.
Hybrid AI Prevents Drive-Thru Errors
- Presto uses a neurosymbolic approach combining LLMs with NLP and human oversight to reduce errors.
- This hybrid AI is crucial to handle unique restaurant contexts and avoid mistakes like hallucinating orders.