Chipotle will use AI to hire 20,000 workers for ‘burrito season'

Group 1 - Chipotle Mexican Grill is planning to hire 20,000 additional workers in preparation for its busiest time of year, referred to as "burrito season" [1][5] - The company is leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) tools, including a virtual team member named Ava Cado, to enhance its hiring process [2][3] - Ava Cado has nearly doubled the applicant flow and reduced the average time for applicants to start their roles from eight days to four days after application submission [2][3] Group 2 - The AI technology used by Chipotle is a result of a partnership with Paradox, initiated in the fall of the previous year, which has improved administrative efficiency for restaurant managers [4] - As of the end of 2024, Chipotle employed over 130,500 individuals, with approximately 126,200 working in restaurants and nearly 1,600 in support and leadership roles [4] - The company aims to expand its presence to 7,000 North American restaurants, currently operating more than 3,700 locations across seven countries [6][7]