The AI That's Already Taking Your Drive-Thru Order (And You Don't Even Know It)

In this episode of Lead with AI, Dr. Tamara Nall interviews Krishna Gupta, co-founder of Presto, who reveals how AI is already serving millions of customers at drive-thrus across America - and most people can't even tell the difference. Gupta explains his "neuro-symbolic" approach that combines large language models with human oversight to prevent the kind of hallucinations that could turn "burger without onions" into "burger with only onions." The conversation takes a fascinating turn when Gupta describes how voice AI can now identify customer demographics in real-time, allowing restaurants to test new products and personalize offers without collecting personal data. Restaurant employees at chains like Taco John's and Carl's Jr. have started treating the AI as a genuine team member, freeing them to focus on food quality and customer connection rather than repetitive order-taking. Gupta makes a striking prediction that AI boyfriends and girlfriends will become far more common than most people expect, while sharing his philosophy that the best AI companies keep humans at the center of their mission. For listeners curious to experience this technology firsthand, Presto is already deployed at drive-thrus nationwide, with TikTok users documenting their interactions and more restaurant chains rolling out the system every month.

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