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Pranksters prove Taco Bell's AI drive-thrus not ready for prime time [1]

['Jason Weisberger']

Date: 2025-08-29

Folks are placing ridiculous orders to confuse and confound Taco Bell's AI ordering system.

Prank orders, such as this one for 18,000 watercups, will confuse the AI and prompt it to direct you to a human. It didn't take long for people to figure this out, and while AI ordering may work just fine, it seems not everyone wants to talk to a machine.

Taco Bell's plan to outfit hundreds of drive-thrus with an AI voice assistant isn't going exactly as the chain expected. Dane Mathews, Taco Bell's chief digital and technology officer, admitted to The Wall Street Journal that the company is re-evaluating where to deploy the tech as customers air their frustrations on social media, and others post videos of their attempts to troll the system, like ordering 18,000 water cups. "We're learning a lot, I'm going to be honest with you," Mathews told the WSJ. "I think like everybody, sometimes it lets me down, but sometimes it really surprises me." The Verge

Taco Bell recognizes that this is an issue and that having staff on hand is probably a good idea:

Mathews tells the outlet that while the company still plans on pushing ahead with AI voice technology and evaluating the data, he's discovered that using AI exclusively in certain situations, like a drive-thru for "super busy restaurants with long lines," might not be such a great idea after all. The Verge

Previously:

• Taco Bell is recalling 2.3 million pounds of ground beef for metal shavings

• Taco Bell fans fight to save menu favorite

• Taco Bell now has a wedding chapel in Las Vegas

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