SoundHound AI expands voice-controlled AI ordering in the restaurant sector

SoundHound AI announced Tuesday (18 June) the takeover of Key Assets of Allset, an online food ordering platform, strengthening the artificial language intelligence company’s presence in the restaurant industry.

The deal, financial terms of which were not disclosed, brings Allset’s nearly 7,000 restaurant partners and engineering talent under the SoundHound umbrella and enables the company to accelerate the development of voice-controlled food ordering systems for cars, TVs and smart devices.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) Speech technology is a growing sector. As PAYMENTS recently reportedMcDonald’s has ended its partnership with IBM to develop an AI-powered drive-thru system and decided to remove the technology from over 100 restaurants. The fast-food giant’s decision underscores both the challenges and opportunities associated with implementing AI-based voice ordering systems amid industry-wide labor shortages and the drive for streamlined operations.

SoundHound, which already works with over 10,000 restaurants, sees voice AI as a transformative technology for the restaurant industry. The company’s systems can process customer orders, understand multiple languages, and integrate directly with point-of-sale systems.

“Together, we want to create dynamic and convenient ways for people to order food and complete a range of other transactions simply by speaking naturally,” said Keyvan Mohajer, CEO and co-founder of SoundHound AI, in a Press release.

The takeover comes at a time when restaurants are increasingly turn to Technology to streamline operations and reduce costs. Voice-assisted AI systems promise to improve efficiency by automating order taking and freeing up employees for other tasks.

Founded in 2015, Allset provides a local grocery pickup platform that allows restaurants and consumers to avoid the high fees associated with delivery apps. The company, which is backed by investors including Andreessen Horowitz, brings its market experience to SoundHound.

“From the beginning, it was clear to us that we share the same vision for the voice commerce ecosystem that improves the customer experience,” said Stas Matviyenko, CEO and co-founder of Allset, who will join SoundHound along with his team, in the press release.

The merger of Allset’s restaurant relationships and SoundHound’s voice AI technology could accelerate the adoption of voice-controlled ordering across platforms. This is in line with broader industry trends as tech giants and startups How Race to integrate voice assistants into everyday consumer interactions.

As speech recognition technology improves, Industry analysts expect significant growth in voice commerce in the coming years. For SoundHound, the acquisition of Allset is a strategic move to capitalize on this trend and strengthen its position in the competitive voice AI market.

For all PYMNTS AI coverage, subscribe to the daily AI Newsletter.