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Dairy Queen is putting an AI chatbot in its drive-thrus

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Dairy Queen is putting an AI chatbot in its drive-thrus
Published: April 17, 2026 at 15:46 | Source: theverge.com
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AI Close AI Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. Follow Follow See All AI News Close News Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. Follow Follow See All News Dairy Queen is putting an AI chatbot in its drive-thrus The fast food chain hopes it will speed up orders and upsell customers. The fast food chain hopes it will speed up orders and upsell customers. by Emma Roth Close Emma Roth News Writer Posts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. Follow Follow See All by Emma Roth Apr 17, 2026, 3:46 PM UTC Link Share Gift Photo by Brandon Bell/Getty Images Emma Roth Close Emma Roth Posts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. Follow Follow See All by Emma Roth is a news writer who covers the streaming wars, consumer tech, crypto, social media, and much more. Previously, she was a writer and editor at MUO. Dairy Queen is becoming the latest fast food chain to get in on AI, as it’s bringing a chatbot to dozens of its drive-thrus across the US and Canada. It aims to help speed up drive-thru service and “encourage customers to add more food to their orders,” according to The Wall Street Journal . Following a test last year, Dairy Queen is widely launching the tech built by Presto, an AI company that already works with chains like Carl’s Jr., Hardee’s, Taco John’s, and Fazoli’s. In 2023, a report from Bloomberg revealed that Presto’s AI drive-thrus may actually be assisted by human workers based in locations like the Philippines. Presto’s chatbot takes orders correctly about 90 percent of the time, The Wall Street Journal reports. Kevin Baartman, Dairy Queen’s executive vice president of IT, tells The Journal that the company tested the AI chatbot on a day when the chain offered free ice cream cones to customers and that “the bots responded to lines of cars and never got crabby.” Along with Dairy Queen, Wendy’s began experimenting with Google-powered AI drive-thrus in 2023, while McDonald’s briefly piloted a chatbot-powered drive-thru as well. Last year, a Taco Bell exec said he’s going to reevaluate where to roll out the chain’s AI drive-thrus after customers expressed frustration with the chatbot (and some attempted to troll it ). And while Burger King is testing AI drive-thrus in fewer than 100 restaurants, it’s putting a chatbot inside employees’ headphones to measure their “friendliness” and help with meal prep. Dairy Queen doesn’t specify the locations of its new AI drive-thrus, only that rollout will launch in “select” franchises across the US and Canada. Follow topics and authors from this story to see more like this in your personalized homepage feed and to receive email updates. Emma Roth Close Emma Roth News Writer Posts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. Follow Follow See All by Emma Roth AI Close AI Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. Follow Follow See All AI News Close News Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. Follow Follow See All News Most Popular Most Popular The creative software industry has declared war on Adobe Ballmer gives $80 million to NPR, with strings attached The Cybertruck of e-bikes is here to replace your car Peloton, stay in your lane Microsoft’s new Xbox chief starts making her mark The Verge Daily A free daily digest of the news that matters most. Email (required) Sign Up By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Notice . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Advertiser Content From This is the title for the native ad
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  • AI Close AI Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.
  • Follow Follow See All AI News Close News Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.
  • Follow Follow See All News Dairy Queen is putting an AI chatbot in its drive-thrus The fast food chain hopes it will speed up orders and upsell customers.
  • The fast food chain hopes it will speed up orders and upsell customers.
Detailed Coverage

Market analysis reveals significant growth potential in the sector discussed in 'Dairy Queen is putting an AI chatbot in its drive-thrus'. Investment patterns and market trends indicate strong confidence in these technologies, with venture capital and corporate investments driving further innovation and development.

User experience and accessibility are key themes that emerge from the analysis of 'Dairy Queen is putting an AI chatbot in its drive-thrus'. The focus on creating intuitive, user-friendly interfaces demonstrates a commitment to making advanced technology accessible to broader audiences and diverse user groups.

The competitive landscape highlighted in 'Dairy Queen is putting an AI chatbot in its drive-thrus' shows how different organizations are positioning themselves in this rapidly evolving market. Strategic partnerships, acquisitions, and research collaborations are shaping the future direction of technological development.

Environmental sustainability and energy efficiency considerations are increasingly important in the context of 'Dairy Queen is putting an AI chatbot in its drive-thrus'. The industry is moving towards more sustainable practices and green technologies to address climate change and environmental concerns.

Education and skill development play crucial roles in the adoption and advancement of technologies discussed in 'Dairy Queen is putting an AI chatbot in its drive-thrus'. The need for specialized talent and continuous learning programs highlights the importance of human capital in technological progress.
Article Details
Published: April 17, 2026 at 15:46
Source: theverge.com
Original link: https://www.theverge.com/ai-artificial-intelligence/913928/dairy-queen-ai-drive-thru-presto
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