Consumers want to talk to humans in the drive-thru line

Key stat: 51% of US adults would prefer not to use AI drive-thrus because they “replace human jobs,” according to a January YouGov survey.

Beyond the chart:

• Only 4% of US adults prefer to use an AI chatbot to place a fast food order at a drive-thru, according to the survey.
• 56% of US consumers are not interested in interacting with AI for food experiences, according to a September 2024 survey from Chain Store Age.

Use this chart: Marketers and retailers can use this chart to recognize the consumer need to also connect with real people while they innovate in AI.

Related EMARKETER reports:

• US Consumer Sentiment Survey: AI Adoption (EMARKETER subscription required)
• Restaurant Digitization 2024 (EMARKETER subscription required)

Note: This data is being featured as part of our special coverage of AI in Commerce.

Methodology: Data is from a February 2025 YouGov analysis as cited in company blog. 1,203 US adults ages 18+ were surveyed online during December 23, 2024-January 1, 2025. Figures are weighted to reflect population estimates from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey for age, gender, race/ethnicity, education level, and region.