- McDonald’s is removing automated order-taking technology from more than 100 restaurants.
- The food chain worked with IBM in 2021 to develop and deploy AI software.
- A video showing faulty technology in McDonald’s drive-thrus went viral in 2023.
The advent of generative AI was supposed to devastate jobs across a range of industries, including restaurants.
Ultimately, we’re not quite there yet.
McDonald’s told franchisees on Thursday that it will remove its AI order-taking technology from more than 100 drive-thrus at the end of a testing period with IBM.
A McDonald’s spokesperson confirmed the decision to Business Insider in a statement, saying the technology was introduced to customers in 2021 when the company entered into a global partnership with IBM.
Through the partnership, IBM acquired McD Tech Labs, which McDonald’s founded after acquiring a controlling stake in AI voice company Apprente in 2019.
The companies will develop and deploy the technology during a test period to determine “whether an automated voice ordering solution can streamline crew operations and create a faster, improved experience for fans.”
McDonald’s CEO Chris Kempczinski told CNBC in June 2021 that while voice recognition technology is about 85% accurate, about one-fifth of orders still need to be handled by a human staff member.
But the mistake went viral online.
Videos of drive-thru customers struggling to use automated ordering machines first gained traction on TikTok last year, with some customers saying the technology was messing up their orders and causing frustration and annoyance.
One video showed a woman trying to order water and vanilla ice cream, and the AI system took those items into account but mistakenly added four packets of ketchup and three packets of butter to her order.
In another video, a TikTok user said they ordered one large cup of sweet iced tea, but the AI-powered technology added nine extra cups of iced sweet tea instead.
Although McDonald’s’ partnership with IBM on its automated ordering system has ended, the company said it will continue to explore ways to use technology to improve its workflow.
“Our collaboration with IBM gives us confidence that drive-thru voice ordering solutions will be part of the future for our restaurants,” McDonald’s told BI in a statement. “We see great opportunities in advancing restaurant technology and will continue to evaluate long-term, scalable solutions that will help us make an informed decision about our future voice ordering solution by the end of the year.”
IBM said it will continue to work with McDonald’s on other projects.
“The technology has some of the most comprehensive capabilities in the industry and has been proven to be fast and accurate in the most demanding conditions,” the company said in a statement. “While McDonald’s is reevaluating and refining its plans for AOT, we look forward to continuing to work with the company on a variety of other projects.”
The statement added that “IBM is currently in discussions and conducting pilots with several quick-serve restaurant clients interested in AOT technology.”
According to National Restaurant News, McDonald’s began using AI technology in its restaurants in 2019, installing 700 AI-enabled menu boards with automated sales suggestions.
