TLDR
- McDonald’s is ending its partnership with IBM and removing AI drive-thru voice ordering technology from over 100 restaurants by July 26, 2024.
- The AI system, developed in collaboration with IBM, aimed to simplify operations and provide a faster experience for customers, but its accuracy was only around 85%.
- Videos of the AI system’s mishaps in taking drive-thru orders went viral on social media in 2023, highlighting its flaws.
- McDonald’s plans to continue exploring voice ordering solutions with the goal of implementing a scalable, long-term solution by the end of 2024.
- While ending the IBM partnership, McDonald’s believes voice ordering technology will be part of its restaurants’ future.
McDonald’s, the global fast-food giant, has decided to hit the pause button on its AI drive-thru voice ordering technology. The company announced that it would be ending its partnership with IBM and removing the AI system from over 100 restaurants where it was being tested.
The decision comes after a trial period that began in 2021 when McDonald’s collaborated with IBM to develop and deploy the Automated Order Taker technology.
The goal was to simplify operations for crew members and create a faster, improved experience for customers at the drive-thru.
However, the AI system’s accuracy rate was only around 85%, meaning human staff had to assist with about one in five orders.
This shortcoming, combined with viral videos showcasing the technology’s mishaps, likely contributed to McDonald’s decision to halt the test.
In 2023, several videos circulated on social media platforms like TikTok, highlighting the AI system’s struggles in accurately capturing drive-thru orders.
In one instance, a customer attempting to order water and a cup of vanilla ice cream ended up with four ketchup packets and three butter packets added to their order.
Another video showed the system misinterpreting a request for a single large sweet iced tea as nine cups of the same beverage.
Despite these hiccups, McDonald’s remains optimistic about the potential of voice ordering technology in its restaurants. The company stated that its work with IBM has given them confidence that a voice-ordering solution for drive-thrus will be part of their future operations.
A McDonald’s spokesperson told Business Insider, “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.”
While McDonald’s is ending its partnership with IBM for the Automated Order Taker technology, the company plans to explore other options and partners for voice ordering solutions.
The fast-food chain is determined to find a reliable, long-term, and scalable solution that can be implemented across its restaurants by the end of 2024.
It’s worth noting that McDonald’s is not the only fast-food chain experimenting with AI-powered drive-thru ordering. Wendy’s has been testing a similar system based on Google’s technology, while White Castle has been utilizing AI provided by speech recognition company SoundHound.
The adoption of AI in the fast-food industry is driven by the potential to improve operational efficiency and enhance customer experience. However, as McDonald’s experience shows, the technology still has room for improvement before it can be seamlessly integrated into high-volume environments like drive-thrus.
