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

By Lulu Chang Published April 10, 2016

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.

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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.

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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.

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Former Digital Trends Contributor

Fascinated by the effects of technology on human interaction, Lulu believes that if her parents can use your new app…

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