Hi Auto Debuts AI Voice Cloning at Lee’s Famous Recipe Chicken

Hi Auto has introduced its artificial intelligence voice-cloning feature for quick-service restaurants to incorporate fully customized voice options into their drive-thru voice AI ordering technology.

Hi Auto's AI voice cloning records and captures all the nuances of a particular person’s voice, including tone, accent and dialect, with just a few minutes of original recorded speech.

Lee's Famous Recipe Chicken, an early adopter of Hi Auto's drive-thru voice AI ordering technology, plans to launch the new voice cloning feature as a test in select Ohio drive-thru locations. Guests who visit Lee's Famous Recipe Chicken locations will be greeted with the voice of sports broadcaster and former NFL player Keith Byars. Byars grew up in Ohio and played football at Ohio State before playing in the National Football League for 13 seasons with teams like the Philadelphia Eagles, Miami Dolphins, New England Patriots, and New York Jets. Currently, Byars hosts "The Keith Byars Show" on ESPN 1410 WING-AM in Dayton, Ohio.

"Lee's has been blessed to partner with Hi Auto since December of 2020, utilizing their AI voice recognition technology to help our employees and restaurants through the pandemic. We look forward to implementing their latest innovation to make our customers' drive-thru experience the most unique experience in the Dayton market," said Lee's Famous Recipe Chicken Owner and Operator Chuck Doran. "We've partnered with Keith Byars since his radio program launched 2018. The integrity, quality, and excellence Keith brought to the football field and continues to bring to his broadcasts is what we strive to provide every customer that visits Lee's. This is just one more step in that quest."

"Three years ago, Lee's embarked on a pioneering journey with Hi Auto, leveraging their cutting-edge artificial intelligence for our drive-thru orders, marking a milestone in operational efficiency and customer service," said Ryan Weaver, CEO of Lee's Famous Recipe Chicken. "This collaboration not only enhanced our labor efficiency by saving approximately 5-6 hours daily, but also significantly improved order consistency and upselling conversions."

Hi Auto's voice AI ordering technology is deployed in more than 400 drive-thru locations across the United States.

"Hi Auto's AI voice cloning aims to humanize the customer drive-thru experience by giving automated attendants a real voice. For restaurants, having their own unique voice is essential in creating a memorable personal experience and genuinely enhancing brand identity. We are rolling out the ability to clone voices at the national level as well as the local level, allowing franchisees to tailor the voice to their business needs. Just like with accuracy and speed, we are doing it at full scale at hundreds of stores,"Hi Auto's CEO and Co-Founder Roy Baharavsaid in a statement.