McDonald’s Stops AI Drive-Thru Order Testing

McDonald’s is pulling the plug on its AI-driven drive-thru ordering experiment, which has in some cases led to incorrect orders at various locations. The fast-food giant has informed franchisees that it will phase out the AI partnership it has currently with IBM by late July 2024, as reported by Restaurant Business.

After partnering with IBM in 2021 to implement voice-ordering chatbots in more than 100 restaurants, the fast-food giant plans to remove this technology. The reasons behind terminating the IBM deal remain unclear. According to statements made to Restaurant Business, the company conducted tests to assess if the chatbots could enhance service speed and streamline operations.

Although McDonald’s is ending the current test, it did not rule out the possibility of drive-thru AI working in the future, indicating that the company may seek a new partner for its automated order-taking initiatives. McDonald’s said, “As we move forward, our work with IBM has given us the confidence that a voice-ordering solution for drive-thru will be part of our restaurants’ future. We see tremendous opportunity in advancing our restaurant technology and will continue to evaluate long-term, scalable solutions that will help us make an informed decision on a future voice ordering solution by the end of the year.”

Mason Smoot, chief restaurant officer for McDonald’s USA, said, “While there have been successes to date, we feel there is an opportunity to explore voice ordering solutions more broadly.” He added, “After a thoughtful review, McDonald’s has decided to end our current partnership with IBM on AOT and the technology will be shut off in all restaurants currently testing it no later than July 26, 2024.”

In December, there was talk about a deal between the company and Google. Bloomberg reported that part of this deal involved a chatbot named “Ask Pickles,” which employees could utilize for tasks like cleaning ice cream machines. Meanwhile, Google has already partnered with Wendy’s to test AI in drive-thrus, a trial that has grown since its inception last year.

AI technology is gaining traction among fast food companies. White Castle has been trialing AI solutions from SoundHound, while Carl’s Jr., Hardee’s, and others have implemented an AI-driven drive-thru chatbot system. According to an SEC filing, this system heavily involves remote human workers located in the Philippines.

McDonald’s drive-thru AI initiative is just a part of its broader strategy to automate tasks traditionally handled by humans. The chain has also introduced mobile ordering and in-store kiosks, and it is testing drone deliveries, kitchen robotics, and unconventional AI-driven hiring tools.