TLDR:
McDonald’s is ending its AI drive-thru ordering pilot with mixed results. Customers reported issues, such as incorrect orders. McDonald’s will continue to explore voice ordering solutions and partner with IBM in other areas.
McDonald’s is pulling the plug on a test that deployed artificial intelligence to take drive-thru customer orders, with the technology showing mixed results. McDonald’s told CBS MoneyWatch that it is ending its Automated Order Taker pilot, which used AI in drive-thrus to expedite orders. The fast-food giant, which launched the tech through a partnership with IBM in 2021, isn’t ready for now to deploy voice ordering across its restaurants. Some customers reported that McDonald’s chatbot sometimes got even simple orders wrong. “The goal of the test was to determine if an automated voice ordering solution could simplify operations for crew and create a faster, improved experience for our fans,” a McDonald’s spokesperson said in a statement to CBS MoneyWatch, while adding it still sees “an opportunity to explore voice ordering solutions more broadly.” McDonald’s will continue to partner with IBM in other areas.
As of December, McDonald’s had 27,000 drive-thru locations across the world. It deployed the AI tech at 100 U.S. locations. And as with any new technology, there were mishaps that amused, and sometimes frustrated, customers. Other fast-food chains, including Chipotle, Taco Bell, and Pizza Hut, are testing bots in their kitchens and at cash registers to save on labor costs. Chipotle has opened at least 500 digital drive-thru “Chipotlane” restaurants since 2018. It has also tested AI in kitchens with “Chippy,” a robotic kitchen assistant that can make tortilla chips. Yum Brands’-owned Taco Bell and Pizza Hut restaurants are also placing big bets on AI, its tech chief Joe Park told the Wall Street Journal in April.