Chick-fil-A is rejecting artificial intelligence for drive-thru ordering, choosing to keep employees at the center of its customer experience even as major fast-food competitors test automated voice systems.

CEO Andrew Cathy said the company has no plans to replace human interaction with AI at its drive-thru ordering stations, arguing that personal service remains an important part of the Chick-fil-A brand.

“From our experience, we really want that hospitality to be human to human,” Cathy told CNBC. “We’re not going to substitute that interaction with technology, because we feel like that hospitality is so important to create that warm environment for consumers.”

The decision comes as other major restaurant chains move in the opposite direction. McDonald’s is preparing to test its voice AI ordering system, while Wendy’s has been deploying its Google Cloud-based FreshAi technology to automate drive-thru orders.

Chick-fil-A, which generated nearly $23.9 billion in sales in 2025, is not opposed to technology altogether. The company continues to use automation and other non-voice technology to improve its operations while keeping employees involved in customer-facing interactions.

In 2024, Chick-fil-A opened an elevated drive-thru in McDonough, Georgia, featuring four lanes and a conveyor system designed to deliver meals to workers every six seconds, allowing employees to focus on serving customers more efficiently.

It remains unclear whether Chick-fil-A could reconsider AI voice ordering in the future if customer preferences or the technology change. For now, the company is taking a different approach from rivals by betting that customers still value speaking with a person when placing their orders.