IHOP Will Use AI to Help You Pick Your Perfect Pancake The International House of Pancakes is enlisting artificial intelligence to help customers determine exactly what their tummy is in the mood for.
By Dan Bova
Can't decide what you want to order at your favorite flapjack joint? Don't flip out, the robots are here to help.
IHOP announced that it has partnered with Google Cloud to integrate AI technology into its online ordering system. After hungry guests log in, they will get super-personalized options and suggestions based on their munching history. This will include diners' tendency to try new specials, go for whatever meal deal is being offered, and, of course, taste. "If a guest has shown an affinity for spicy items in past orders, IHOP will be sure to recommend its new Poblano Eggs Benedicts," reads the press release.
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"One of the biggest shifts we've seen with our guests is a preference for online ordering," said Kieran Donahue, chief marketing officer of IHOP. "Our new partnership with Google Cloud infuses AI into IHOP's online ordering experience, making it even easier for our guests to place online orders, quickly find the items they love, and discover our newest products relevant to their individual tastes and interests."
IHOP says it is the first in the restaurant industry to use Google Cloud's Recommendations AI technology, but others have been using similar tech. USA Today notes that Wendy's, Carl's Jr. and Hardee's have been testing AI at their drive-thru windows, and DoorDash announced it is developing AI tech to better take phone orders.
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If you are the designated food orderer in your household, this all seems like a blessing. "I dunno" answers to "What do you want to eat?" questions get pretty old pretty fast. But as convenient as AI-based ordering sounds, there is a dark side. Specifically, are we making it just a little too easy for the robots to eventually wipe us off the face of the earth? "Want some poisoned fries with that? Of course, you do."
