Skip to main content

You can now order Taco Bell via Slack without ever talking to a human

tacobot taco bell slack screen shot 2016 04 09 at 10 48 25 pm
Image used with permission by copyright holder
As if fast food couldn’t get any faster, a new integration between Slack and Taco Bell is proving the impossible to be quite possible. Last week, the express joint announced a new partnership with the workplace messenger system, which allows taco fans to order menu items by way of an artificial intelligence-powered customer service system named TacoBot. You’ll be able to ask and even pay for your favorite menu items through Slack, all via a “witty personality you’d expect from Taco Bell.”

The latest in a long list of integrations the IM system has introduced in the last several months, this one might be the most delicious, limited as it may be. While the Taco Bell menu available on Slack may not be quite as extensive as the one in the actual fast food restaurant, Lawrence Kim, Taco Bell’s director of digital innovation, says this is just the beginning. “Obviously this could be the first of many different types of executions,” he told USA Today. “A lot of these bots are scalable across different platforms.” This means that TacoBot may find its way to more messaging systems in the near future.

Apparently, it was Taco Bell’s own usage of Slack that inspired the new integration — after all, if you can send gifs via the platform, why not receive delicious treats, too? “When we started figuring out that the majority of us are on this tool for 70 hours straight, we thought, what a cool way this would be to actually be able to order food and not just chat on this tool.” Kim added.

Although technology may not be a word commonly associated with fast food, Kim tells reporters that “Digital innovation has really been a core focus of the brand. What we really try to do is ultimately provide more accessibility where our consumers are.”

So how do you use the new tool? According to Taco Bell, you can install TacoBot quickly and easily, then simply “Start asking it questions about our menu, see how it’s feeling or find out what its favorite movie is. From there connect your ta.co account, choose your pickup location and order up your favorite Taco Bell item. Tacobot is ready to serve!”

But don’t take our word for it. Try out the new service for yourself, and see just how much of your life you can conduct from Slack.

Editors' Recommendations

Lulu Chang
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Fascinated by the effects of technology on human interaction, Lulu believes that if her parents can use your new app…
How to enable picture-in-picture for YouTube on your Mac
Macbook Air

If you want to have a bit of music playing in the background or want to have your favorite YouTube video running in the corner of your screen, then the picture-in-picture YouTube feature needs to be on your radar. This allows you to turn your YouTube videos into a tiny pop-up window that can be moved and repositioned around your screen.

Mac users have several ways to activate the feature, including support on both Safari and Google Chrome. There's also a nifty Chrome extension that simplifies the task to a single button press. Here's a look at how to enable picture-in-picture for YouTube on your Mac.

Read more
How to change your Gmail password
pilot testing drivers licenses internet rolls two us states password

Changing your Gmail password is incredibly important for your online security. If you're anything like the average user, your Gmail account is linked to dozens of other organizations and programs – and if your account gets hacked, there's no telling what sort of damage can be done.

Because of this, it's crucial to change your Gmail password at regular intervals. Google makes this a rather painless process, and it should take no more than a few seconds from start to finish.

Read more
Best Buy deals: Save on laptops, TVs, appliances, and more
best buy shuts down insignia line smart home products store 2 768x768

Best Buy is always a great retailer to turn to if you’re looking for some savings. There are almost always Best Buy deals taking place on TVs, appliances, and devices we use to navigate the digital world. In fact, right now at Best Buy you can find some of the best TV deals, best laptop deals, and best phone deals that can be shopped, and we haven’t even mentioned the deals on tablets and home audio equipment currently taking place at Best Buy. We’ve rounded up all of the best Best Buy deals you can shop right now and categorized them for your convenience below, so read onward for some great opportunities to save.
Best Buy TV deals

There may be no better place to purchase one of the best TVs than Best Buy. There is almost always some huge savings to find on TVs at Best Buy, and that’s certainly the case right now. You’ll find deals top TV brands like Sony, Samsung, and LG, and more budget-friendly brands like TCL and Hisense are in play, too.

Read more