• Yum! Brands is implementing AI across its restaurant operations, from managing oven temperatures to training staff on new menu items.
  • The company has seen digital sales nearly double since 2019, reaching $30 billion, driving a greater focus on technology and automation.
  • Amidst new minimum wage laws and the COVID-19 pandemic, Yum! Brands looks to AI to maintain cost-effectiveness and improve the customer experience.

Yum! Brands announces an AI-centric strategy, aiming to boost efficiency and customer service through technological innovation across its major fast-food chains.

Also read: McDonald’s & Google AI integration: Will promised benefits materialize?

AI-Powered operations

Yum! Brands, the conglomerate responsible for managing the operations of KFC, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell, and The Habit Burger Grill, is turning to artificial intelligence as part of its strategic vision for “AI-enhanced” quick service food, as reported by the Wall Street Journal.

Digital sales surge

The firm has been bolstering its financial backing for technological advancements and automation, resulting in approximately 45% of its sales, equating to $30 billion, being transacted digitally—a sum that has nearly doubled since 2019, as Joe Park, Yum’s head of digital and technological affairs, informed the publication.

“Our philosophy for quick-service eateries is centred around an AI-first approach that is integrated into every aspect of the service,” Park articulated to the Wall Street Journal. “When one considers the various stages within a restaurant’s operations that could be powered by AI, we believe the potential is boundless.”

In response to the enactment of California’s updated minimum wage legislation, which came into force on Monday and stipulates that the majority of quick-service staff will receive a wage of $20 per hour, a plethora of restaurant proprietors are leaning on AI to mitigate costs and bolster revenue, as highlighted by the Journal.

For industry leaders in fast food like Yum, the integration of AI is not just about elevating the customer experience. Yum has developed a dedicated mobile application for restaurant management known as the SuperApp, which is reportedly experimenting with the incorporation of generative AI. This innovation enables staff to pose operational inquiries, such as how best to regulate oven temperatures. Park revealed to the Journal that the app, which is currently in use across over 8,700 Pizza Hut and KFC sites, also assists with the procurement of ingredients and the scheduling of staff shifts. Additionally, he mentioned that an upcoming augmented reality feature may be instrumental in educating employees on the preparation of novel menu offerings.

In the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, a significant number of fast-food establishments have ramped up their investment in technological innovations, such as digital ordering systems and an expanded network of drive-thru facilities.

Future of human workforce

Despite concerns that the rise of AI could potentially sideline the need for human employees, a spokesperson for Yum assured the Wall Street Journal that “its workforce will continue to be of paramount importance.”