Square Launches Voice AI-Equipped Kiosk to Tackle QSR Staffing Shortages

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Square introduced a new flagship self-service kiosk that features artificial intelligence-powered software, voice capabilities and a large touch display, the company said in a Wednesday (Oct. 14) press release.

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    Designed for quick service restaurant (QSR) operators, the new Square Kiosk’s agentic, conversational voice layer understands a seller’s menu, listens to customers and responds in real time. It answers questions about the menu, offers suggestions and popular options, handles modifications and works through substitutions, according to the release.

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    The Square Kiosk also includes a 21.5-inch touchscreen display that “supports rich menus and item imagery,” a personalized check-in that allows guests to connect to their Neighborhoods profile or Square Loyalty account to earn and redeem rewards, and a fully integrated payments and barcode scanner, the release said.

    “For QSR operators, who often have to do more with less, conversational AI does what existing self-ordering solutions can’t,” Thomas Templeton, global hardware lead at Square parent company Block, said in the release. “Whether answering menu questions or making informed recommendations, Square Kiosk raises the bar on what guests can expect from self-service while giving staff the time back to focus on hospitality and the tasks that matter the most.”

    PYMNTS reported in August that AI voice agents are taking over the retail sales floor. With new models, these agents can hold real sales conversations, ask the same probing questions a floor associate would and adapt as a shopper’s needs shift.

    According to an OpenAI report, Akira Fukabori, CEO of voice agent developer avatarin, said: “Customers do not want a chatbot. They want intelligence. ‘I need a refrigerator for a family of four, but my kitchen is small. Which one should I choose?’ Real customer service means being able to answer that question.”

    In other recent moves, Square announced an integration with Apple Business that lets Square sellers use their Square Dashboard to manage their presence across Apple apps; added 30,000 more sellers to its Neighborhoods local commerce network that connects Square sellers with Cash App customers; and launched a new conversational AI offering in tandem with Google.

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