Luke Charette/Bloomberg/Getty Images
Some fast-food customers have complained that the AI sometimes gets their orders wrong because it can't recognise some accents or distinguish their voices from background noise.
CNN
—
McDonald's has caused confusion by discontinuing the AI-powered voice ordering technology it was testing in its drive-thru systems at more than 100 US restaurants. The rapid adoption of AI in the fast food industry.
The company has a global partnership with IBM to develop AI-powered ordering technology and has been testing it in some of its restaurants. The fast-food giant said it is still working on AI-related solutions even as its rivals are also investing in AI. It also raises questions about whether the two-year-old project with IBM is already outdated as big tech companies rapidly improve their AI technology.
The company plans to shut down the technology in restaurants participating in the test “no later than July 26, 2024,” industry publication Restaurant Business reported.
“IBM is a trusted partner and we will continue to leverage their products across our global system,” McDonald's said in an email to franchisees and shared with CNN, but suggested the company would consider other AI partners besides IBM.
McDonald's and IBM began their collaboration in 2021, announcing the development of automated order taking (AOT) technology to create a more convenient and simple ordering experience for customers and restaurant teams as part of the “Accelerating the Arches” growth plan.
IBM said the AOT technology resulting from the partnership is “the industry's most comprehensive, fast and accurate,” even under demanding conditions.
“While McDonald's reevaluates and refines its AOT plans, we look forward to continuing to work with the company on a variety of other projects,” IBM said in a statement.
McDonald's says this isn't the end of its AI efforts: The company plans to “evaluate long-term, scalable solutions” that could lead to a future voice ordering solution by the end of 2024.
McDonald's isn't the only fast-food chain experimenting with AI: Other companies such as White Castle also tested an automated drive-thru ordering system in 2021, and Wendy's expanded its partnership with Google Cloud in May last year to roll out its own AI ordering tool.
Despite fast-food companies being keen to incorporate AI-powered solutions into their daily operations, the technology still faces problems: Some customers have complained that the AI gets their orders wrong because the technology can't recognise some accents and distinguish customers' voices from background noise.
