McDonald’s ends AI drive-thru orders

Fast food chain McDonald’s will discontinue its AI drive-thru voice ordering system it has been experimenting with by the end of July after numerous mistakes were reported on social media, like misinterpreting orders and producing incorrect items (an ice cream cone topped with bacon).

McDonald’s implemented an “automated order taking” (AOT) system, developed in partnership with IBM, at over 100 locations in 2021.

Despite the setback, McDonald’s remains optimistic about AI’s future role in its operations. It plans to continue working with IBM to refine the technology and use it in voice-ordering services in the future.

The situation highlights ongoing challenges in AI’s inability to perform certain human tasks reliably.

However, several other fast-food chains continue to adopt AI to improve efficiency. Wendy’s is expanding its AI use with robot cashiers, as it reduces order times.

McDonald’s is also collaborating with Google on the AI chatbot Ask Pickles to assist employees.