• The inventor of Wendy's FreshAI, the burger chain's AI-powered drive-thru system, has left the company. • Michael Chorey has joined Presto, an AI automation provider for the broader restaurant industry. • Chorey's departure from Wendy's signals a shift in how the dining segment is approaching AI.

If you ask Michael Chorey, "Can AI take your order?" The answer is a resounding "yes."

The founder and chief inventor of Wendy's FreshAI has departed from the burger chain and joined AI automation provider Presto as cofounder and president of its new division, Presto IQ.

Over the last three years, Chorey helped Wendy's build an AI that he says can take customer orders faster and more efficiently than a worker wearing a headset. Now, he's betting the same tech will reshape the entire fast-

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