Nvidia partners with Yum! Brands to bring AI to KFC, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell: What it means for you

Nvidia and Yum! Brands, the parent company of KFC, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell, and Habit Burger & Grill, have announced a collaboration to integrate artificial intelligence solutions across Yum!’s global restaurant network. At the Nvidia GTC conference, the company announced that AI technologies will be deployed in 500 restaurants as part of the initiative this year. The collaboration with Nvidia is aimed at improving efficiency and customer experience across Yum!’s restaurant brands.

The partnership will introduce AI-powered voice assistants at select Pizza Hut and Taco Bell locations to handle drive-thru and call center orders. AI-driven computer vision systems will be used to analyze drive-thru traffic and adjust staffing in real time to improve operational efficiency. Additionally, AI will assess restaurant performance and generate action plans for managers.
Yum! Brands, which operates over 61,000 locations worldwide, is integrating AI to streamline operations and enhance customer service. This initiative is part of its proprietary AI-driven platform, Byte by Yum!, which consolidates restaurant systems such as ordering, delivery optimization, inventory, and labor management.
Joe Park, chief digital and technology officer at Yum! Brands told Business Insider “We've all seen what a poor drive-thru experience could look like when it goes viral in a bad way, and we want to make sure our team members have a great experience”.
Park emphasized that Nvidia's strategy—offering a speech-recognition model, a comprehensive package of software and tools known as microservices, and ongoing support—sets it apart.
However, he cautioned that success requires more than just technology. "You're going to have to build relationships with your customers and your team members to have trust in the system and not shut it off," he said.
Park noted that a generic large language model wouldn't suffice for a brand like Taco Bell, where menu items have unique names. For instance, the AI must distinguish "Limonada" from "Lemonade."
Enhancing voice AI's accuracy will require "trial and error," he acknowledged, adding, "That's such a big unsaid part about AI and getting it to work."