While major fast-food chains rush to replace drive-thru order takers with artificial intelligence, Chick-fil-A is taking a firm stand in the opposite direction.

As competitors across the quick-service industry test and deploy AI-driven voice bots to handle customer orders, the Atlanta-based chicken chain is reaffirming its commitment to real, human hospitality, proving that “my pleasure” hits differently coming from an actual person.

In a recent interview with CNBC, Chick-fil-A CEO Andrew Cathy made the company’s stance unequivocally clear. While the chain is open to exploring behind-the-scenes AI opportunities to streamline back-of-house operations, voice ordering in the drive-thru lanes is strictly off the table.

“From our experience, we really want that hospitality to be human to human,” Cathy told CNBC. “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.”

This stance contrasts with industry rivals who are leaning heavily into automated ordering. For instance, McDonald’s announced plans at its investor day to test “Archy”, its custom voice AI tech, to handle drive-thru orders in both English and Spanish.

The fast-food landscape has increasingly embraced AI technology to cut labor costs, but many consumers have expressed frustration with glitchy voice recognition, miscommunicated orders, and transactional service.

Chick-fil-A, famous for its high-volume drive-thrus and employee-centric culture, is using human connection as a major brand differentiator. Rather than handing off customer interactions to digital voice assistants, the company will keep team members face-to-face with guests, often equipped with tablets directly in the drive-thru lanes to keep traffic moving smoothly.