The drive-thru menu at a McDonald's restaurant showing various meal options and promotions, in Buttonwillow in Kern County, California, on 23, 2024. This year, 16% of restaurant operators plan to invest in artificial intelligence, including voice recognition, according to a survey from the National Restaurant Association. Then Covid came, which not only accelerated labor costs but also led to a shift away from dining rooms and toward drive-thru lanes. Then there's Presto Automation , the AI drive-thru technology company which disclosed last year in Securities and Exchange Commission filings that it uses "human agents" in places like the Philippines and India to complete orders. This time, McDonald's likely won't be the first mover.

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Persons: Covid, McDonald's, Gee Lefevre, T.D, Cowen, Andrew Charles, That's, Uber, Charles Organizations: National Restaurant Association, IBM, Securities, Exchange Commission, Presto Locations: Buttonwillow, Kern County , California, Philippines, India