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Chick-fil-A plans to keep people taking drive-thru orders even as it explores using AI behind the scenes, according to Fortune’s October 9, 2026, account of CEO Andrew Cathy’s remarks to CNBC. Separately, a part-time job at 66 can raise someone’s Social Security retirement benefit if the new earnings replace a lower year in the worker’s benefit calculation. Whether it does—and by how much—depends on the person’s full earnings record and, for someone already collecting benefits, whether the Social Security earnings test applies.
Chick-fil-A’s reported plan keeps people at the order point
Fortune reported on October 9, 2026, that Chick-fil-A CEO Andrew Cathy told CNBC the company plans to retain human drive-thru order-takers while exploring AI for behind-the-scenes work. That is a news report about remarks in an interview, not a published Chick-fil-A policy statement. Fortune’s account does not establish which specific behind-the-scenes tasks the company may use AI for, and it does not provide an exact Cathy quotation.
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Chick-fil-A’s own March 1, 2021, description of its Face-to-Face Ordering process says Team Members take customer orders using mobile technology. That article provides operational context, but it predates the reported 2026 remarks and should not be treated as confirmation of a current AI policy. It quotes Drive-Thru Innovation Team leader Artie Sposaro: “In order to reach our top speed for getting guests through our drive-thru while keeping our Team Members and customers safe, we believe everything matters.”
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1Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches2Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems3Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteOther technology is a separate matter. The company’s support FAQ says its autonomous delivery robot pilot, launched in 2022, ended in fall 2024, with no confirmed expansion plans. Delivery robots are not voice order-takers at a drive-thru speaker.
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Can working at 66 increase a Social Security check?
Yes, potentially. Social Security calculates retirement benefits using up to 35 years of a worker’s indexed earnings. If a person has fewer than 35 earnings years, years without earnings count as zeros. If the person already has 35 or more years, a later year can increase the benefit when its indexed earnings are high enough to displace one of the lower years used in the calculation.
Age 66 by itself does not determine whether a new job will raise a benefit. A part-time year helps only if earnings are credited to the worker’s record and improve the set of earnings years SSA uses. If the new year does not replace a zero or a lower-earning year in that calculation, it may not change the benefit. The amount and timing of any change are individual-specific.
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- Celebrate the big and little things for friends and family, near and far, with a Chick-fil-A eGift Card. They are just as fun to give as they are to receive.
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Check the earnings record and estimate
Use a personal my Social Security account to review the earnings record and SSA’s estimate based on expected future income. Adjust the projected income to reflect the likely wages from the part-time job. An estimate is more useful than a general rule because it can account for the person’s recorded earnings and expected future work.
For 2026, SSA says earnings up to $184,500 count toward Social Security benefit calculations; earnings above that annual maximum do not increase the calculation. This is a 2026 figure, not a permanent limit.
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Working while receiving benefits: the separate 2026 earnings test
The earnings test is different from the calculation that can raise a benefit when a new high-earning year replaces a lower one. Before full retirement age, earnings above an annual limit can cause SSA to withhold some benefits. Beginning with the month a person reaches full retirement age, earnings do not reduce retirement benefits under this test.
| When in 2026 | Earnings-test limit | How the limit applies |
|---|---|---|
| Below full retirement age for all of 2026 | $24,480 | Applies to earnings for the year. |
| Reaching full retirement age during 2026 | $65,160 | Applies only to earnings before the month full retirement age is reached. |
| Starting with the month full retirement age is reached | No earnings limit | Earnings do not reduce retirement benefits under the earnings test. |
For this test, earnings mean wages or net self-employment earnings—not pensions or investment income. The limits above are SSA’s 2026 thresholds and should be checked again for a later year.
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Withholding is not the same as losing a benefit increase
If SSA withholds benefits because earnings exceed the applicable limit before full retirement age, it adjusts the monthly benefit at full retirement age to account for months withheld. That adjustment is separate from a later recalculation based on new earnings improving the worker’s 35-year record. One concerns withheld months under the earnings test; the other concerns which earnings years are used to calculate the benefit.
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What to check before deciding whether the job will help
- Your earnings record: Identify whether you have fewer than 35 credited years and, if not, which low-earning years are in the calculation.
- Expected wages: Compare projected earnings from the job with the low year that might be displaced. SSA’s estimator can model expected future income, but the exact result depends on your record.
- Your full retirement age and benefit status: If you are already receiving benefits and have not reached full retirement age, compare expected wages with the applicable earnings-test limit for the year. The month you reach full retirement age matters.
- Which rule you are evaluating: A possible increase from a better earnings year and possible temporary withholding under the earnings test are distinct effects. Consider each separately.
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