Man Goes To Wendy’s. Then He Orders 10,000 Cups Of Water From The AI Clerk—And Unlocks A Secret Code

If you’ve gone to a drive-thru recently, chances are high that you’ve been greeted not by an employee, but by a computer.

Over the past few years, several major chains, like Wendy’s, have pivoted their drive-thru operations. Instead of being helmed by a worker, the process of capturing a customer’s order is taken over by a machine powered by artificial intelligence.

How’s this going? It’s a mixed bag. While many customers can complete their orders without issue, others are having problems getting the machine to understand them. Sometimes, errors with these machines result in customers receiving free food. Other times, it simply creates customer frustration.

No matter how annoyed people are getting at these systems, it seems like companies are going to insist that customers use them. Consequently, some have found ways to avoid the AI altogether.

How Can You Circumvent Wendy’s AI Drive-Thru?

In a video with over 2.9 million views, TikTok user @spacejesus_21 says he’s “doing my part in the AI revolution.”

To demonstrate what that means, he films himself approaching a Wendy’s drive-thru. Immediately, he’s greeted by a voice that welcomes him and presents him with two menu options.

Instead of responding to the voice, he simply declares, “10,000 water cups.”

Almost as soon as the words leave his mouth, an employee gets on the microphone. From there, the TikToker continues as normal, saying he’s getting an order for pickup.

Why Does This ‘Hack’ Work?

Naturally, this TikToker isn’t the first to try the “thousands of water cups” trick. In fact, this trick has gone viral so many times over the years that many outlets claimed it was one of the reasons Taco Bell was considering scaling back their AI drive-thru rollout.

But why does this trick work in the first place?

Given that many details surrounding this technology are not shared with the public, one can only speculate about the exact programming of Wendy’s drive-thru technology. However, looking at press releases from the company about the technology, one can figure out how this hack leads one straight to an employee.

According to a December 2023 press release, Wendy’s FreshAi was able to handle 86% of customer orders without employee intervention during its trial run. Similarly, when Taco Bell announced that they were changing their approach to AI, Chief Digital and Technology Officer Dane Matthews told The Wall Street Journal that they were encouraging employees to “really monitor voice AI and jump in as necessary.”

This implies that these AI systems are not solely in charge. Rather, it’s likely a system in which employees are monitoring the AI. Then, if a customer places a complicated order or one seemingly designed to trick the AI, an employee can jump in to fix it. Several users on Reddit claim that this is how the system operates.

Viewers Are Sick Of AI

In the comments section, users voiced their continuing frustration with AI technology and its widespread implementation.

“So they still need someone to listen and make sure the orders are real… so the AI is LITERALLY USELESS,” a user wrote.

“I just leave and never return. Disrespectful to consumers,” a second stated.

“If I pull up to any establishment and a f—- AI assistant starts talking to me, I’m going elsewhere,” declared a further TikToker.

These viewers aren’t alone. One 2025 study found that 55% of respondents said they prefer humans to AI taking their drive-thru orders.

In the comments, other users offered their own hacks for getting around the AI.

“Use numbers like eleventy, twoteen and threeteen,” a commenter said.

“Not me saying ‘speak to a representative,’” added another.

BroBible reached out to Wendy’s via email and @spacejesus_21 via TikTok direct message and comment.