Chick-fil-A is embracing artificial intelligence behind the scenes, but there is one place Chief Executive Officer Andrew Cathy says the fast-food chain does not intend to replace a person with a machine: the drive-thru.
Cathy told CNBC in an October 4 interview that Chick-fil-A does not plan to use AI voice technology to take customers’ drive-thru orders, even as some major competitors test automated ordering systems.
“From our experience, we really want that hospitality to be human to human,” Cathy said. “We’re not gonna substitute that interaction with technology, because we feel like that hospitality is so important to create that warm environment for consumers.”
Cathy described Chick-fil-A’s approach to technology as “human plus.” The company continues exploring artificial intelligence and other technology in its operations, but he said it does not intend to replace the employee taking a drive-thru order with AI voice technology.
The position comes as businesses across several industries experiment with automation while maintaining human employees in some customer-facing roles.
Chick-fil-A Automates Around the Customer
Chick-fil-A has spent years incorporating technology into its restaurants.
When the company announced two digitally focused restaurant concepts on July 27, 2023, it said technology would be used to “elevate the human touchpoints” in its restaurants.
The company subsequently opened an elevated drive-thru concept in McDonough, Georgia, featuring four drive-thru lanes beneath a second-floor kitchen.
Chick-fil-A said the restaurant can accommodate two to three times as many vehicles as a standard Chick-fil-A drive-thru. Customers can order ahead using the company’s app or place an order with a team member in a traditional drive-thru lane, and employees still deliver meals to customers.
Some competitors are taking another approach to drive-thru ordering.
McDonald’s said at its September investor day that it is testing Archy, an AI voice system capable of taking drive-thru orders in English and Spanish, CNBC detailed in its account of the presentation.
McDonald’s executives said during the investor presentation that Archy was taking live orders with greater than 90% accuracy in early test restaurants. Global Chief Information Officer Brian Rice said the technology is intended to free employees to focus on hospitality.
Wendy’s has also been deploying FreshAI, its automated drive-thru ordering technology developed with Google Cloud.
Some Companies Restore Human Service
Other companies have reconsidered how heavily they rely on automation for customer service.
Klarna became one of the most prominent examples after aggressively expanding AI customer support.
The Swedish financial technology company announced in 2024 that its AI assistant was performing work equivalent to hundreds of customer-service employees. By 2025, however, Chief Executive Officer Sebastian Siemiatkowski said customers should always retain the ability to reach a person.
A Klarna spokesperson told CX Dive, “AI gives us speed. Talent gives us empathy.”
Klarna did not abandon its AI assistant. Instead, the company resumed recruiting human customer-service workers while continuing to use artificial intelligence for other inquiries.
Starbucks has made a separate adjustment involving automation and staffing.
Chief Executive Officer Brian Niccol said in April 2025 that Starbucks had previously removed labor from stores under the assumption that equipment would compensate for reduced staffing.
“What we’re finding is … that wasn’t an accurate assumption with what played out,” Niccol said.
Starbucks has plans to raise staffing levels at roughly 3,000 U.S. stores by the end of 2025 while slowing portions of the rollout of its Siren equipment system, reported Reuters.
Customers Want Technology — and Humans
Customer research has found demand for both automated and human service options.
Up to 66% of U.S. consumers surveyed said they wanted to speak only with a live person when seeking help, resolving a problem or making a complaint, according to the 2025 State of Customer Service and CX study examined by Forbes contributor Shep Hyken.
At the same time, a separate sample found that 34% of consumers had stopped doing business with a company because it did not provide self-service options.
Healthcare is another sector in which companies and patients are navigating the expanding use of portals, online accounts, mobile applications and other digital tools.
Digital Barriers Can Affect Healthcare
The Dallas Express examined the issue in May after CVS Health released research finding that 58% of Medicare-eligible adults surveyed said low digital health literacy negatively affected their ability to manage their health.
The research examined barriers involving navigation, knowledge, digital skills and confidence as healthcare providers increasingly use online and digital tools.
The resistance did not necessarily amount to opposition to technology. Eighty-six percent of respondents said they were willing to use digital health tools if they received sufficient training and support.
Separate AARP research published in 2026 found that three in five adults age 50 and older said technology is not designed with their age in mind. The survey identified privacy, usability, trust and perceived value among obstacles to wider technology adoption.
The Dallas Express previously covered a different use of AI in senior care when Griswold Homecare in Plano began using Sensi AI technology to supplement caregivers.
The system uses audio monitoring to identify events such as falls or certain spoken keywords and alert staff. It was introduced as an additional monitoring tool rather than a replacement for the caregiver.
Companies Mix Automation With Human Service
The companies cited have continued using technology while retaining or restoring employees in particular customer-facing functions.
Chick-fil-A continues using digital ordering and automated restaurant systems while keeping a person involved in traditional drive-thru ordering. McDonald’s is testing AI ordering while saying the system can allow employees to concentrate on other hospitality duties.
Klarna continues operating an AI customer-service assistant while again recruiting human agents. Starbucks has continued investing in equipment while increasing staffing at stores.
Older adults also continue adopting technology despite concerns about design and usability. Smartphone ownership among adults age 50 and older reached 90% in 2025, up from 55% in 2016, AARP found in its latest technology research.
For Chick-fil-A, Cathy said the decision about AI at the drive-thru comes back to the interaction the company wants between employees and customers.
“We really want that hospitality to be human to human,” he said.
