Presto Voice: when no restaurant staff did not mean no human intervention

What the public record shows

The SEC’s January 14, 2025 order found that Presto Automation made materially misleading statements about Presto Voice between November 2021 and May 2023. The order addressed undisclosed reliance on third-party technology and claims about eliminating human order-taking.

Where the promise broke

The SEC found that some completion statistics excluded restaurant staff intervention while still relying on substantial off-site human involvement. The distinction changed what the automation number actually measured.

What this record does not establish

Presto settled without admitting or denying the findings. The order concerns the named respondent and historical statements; it does not establish the capabilities of every later product bearing a similar name.

The buyer lesson

Read the denominator and exclusions behind an automation rate. Human assistance can be legitimate, but it must be disclosed when an autonomous workflow is being sold.

Sources: SEC cease-and-desist order · 14 January 2025