McDonald's, Wendy's push AI drive-throughs, but most customers still prefer humans

McDonald's and Wendy's have made significant bets on artificial intelligence to transform their drive-through operations. McDonald's introduced ArchIQ earlier this year, deploying AI-powered chatbots at drive-through locations under its broader "McDonald's > NEXT" initiative. Wendy's began implementing AI-powered drive-through systems in 2023 as part of its FreshAI program and has signaled continued investment: in its 2026 first quarter earnings report, Wendy's CFO Ken Cook stated, "We are continuing to invest in the end-to-end digital experience, leveraging consumer insights to drive frequency and engagement in the app, while expanding payment options at checkout to create a more seamless experience and improve conversion." Both chains frame these moves as efficiency improvements tied to digital transformation.

However, customer behavior tells a different story. Recent surveys show Americans overwhelmingly prefer ordering from human employees rather than AI-powered drive-through assistants or digital kiosks. Research from advisory firm Metrigy reveals that about 80% of consumers prefer speaking with human order takers versus AI agents. The perception gap is stark: only about 22% of consumers say they prefer interacting with AI agents, yet businesses believe it is roughly 40%. According to Layne Haaksma, a senior research analyst at Metrigy, this reveals a significant misalignment. "The biggest takeaway is there's a significant gap between how fast companies are moving on AI and how ready consumers are," Haaksma told Fortune. "Businesses think customers prefer AI much more than they actually do."

Jerry Jacobs, a Wharton professor of sociology and management, frames the underlying problem as a flawed implementation mindset. "The assumption is there's a task, the computer can do it, therefore the person doesn't," he explained to Fortune. "That's one possible way of implementing it. It's not the only way." Jacobs argues that for many consumers, ordering food remains a social interaction—even if it lasts less than a minute—and that restaurants need not assume automation requires eliminating workers. Instead, AI could handle repetitive ordering while employees shift toward hospitality-focused roles like greeting customers, answering questions, and resolving issues that machines struggle to address. "You can use this as a means of making it a more satisfying customer encounter," he said. "We shouldn't automatically assume robots equal a subtraction of an equal number of human employees."

The hesitation is not permanent. Metrigy data shows customer preference toward AI chatbots grew more than four percentage points from Q1 2026 to Q2 2026, suggesting that acceptance may grow as consumers gain experience. However, current resistance stems from legitimate concerns about reliability. Haaksma noted, "There hasn't been enough time from AI's introduction into where we are now, for consumers to actually have that trust in using it. AI still messes up quite a bit… those mistakes really stick with consumers." Jacobs echoed this caution, pointing out that while human employees make mistakes and operate under rigid scripts, the solution is not automatic replacement but thoughtful integration that preserves the human elements customers value. The question for McDonald's and Wendy's is not whether AI will eventually be accepted—the trend suggests it will—but whether improving accuracy and rethinking deployment strategy can bridge the gap between corporate automation timelines and consumer readiness.