By D. Maan, Jadetimes News
McDonald’s Pauses AI Ordering at Drive Thrus
McDonald’s is discontinuing the use of artificial intelligence ordering technology at over 100 drive thru systems in the US, marking a potential setback in the fast food industry’s rapid adoption of AI.
The company had collaborated with IBM to develop and test AI driven, voice automated ordering at some of its locations. While McDonald’s remains committed to AI solutions, it announced plans to shut down the technology in test restaurants by July 26, 2024, as reported by trade publication Restaurant Business.
In an email to franchisees, McDonald’s acknowledged IBM as a trusted partner, noting they will continue to use many of IBM’s products globally. However, the company indicated it might explore AI partnerships beyond IBM. The partnership, initiated in 2021, aimed to develop Automated Order Taking (AOT) technology under McDonald’s “Accelerating the Arches” growth plan to streamline and enhance the customer and team experience.
IBM highlighted that the AOT technology developed through this partnership possesses some of the most advanced capabilities in the industry, offering speed and accuracy under demanding conditions. While McDonald’s re evaluates and refines its AOT plans, IBM expressed eagerness to continue collaborating on other projects.
McDonald’s emphasized that this pause does not signify the end of its AI initiatives. The company plans to assess long term, scalable voice ordering solutions by the end of 2024.
David Henkes, senior principal and head of strategic partnerships at Technomic, remarked that AI will play a significant role in restaurant automation and efficiency, but the technology is still in its early stages. The McDonald’s experience underscores both the potential benefits and current limitations of AI technology.
McDonald’s is not alone in experimenting with AI. Other fast food chains, such as White Castle and Wendy’s, have also tested automated drive thru ordering systems. Despite the enthusiasm for AI integration, the technology has encountered issues, including difficulties in recognizing accents and distinguishing customer voices from background noise, leading to incorrect orders.