Videos of McDonald's drive-thru “failures” have gone viral in recent months, leading to a “thoughtful” review of the technology.
Tuesday 18 June 2024 23:15 UK
McDonald's is ending its trial of an AI drive-thru after customers reported mistakes with their orders, such as bacon being added to their ice cream.
The fast-food chain's AI ordering system, developed by IBM, uses voice recognition to process orders and has been rolled out in more than 100 McDonald's restaurants in the US since 2021.
But the reliability of the technology has been called into question in recent months, with videos of order mix-ups being shared on social media.
As well as topping your dessert with bacon; artificial intelligence A drive-thru worker added $211 (£166) worth of chicken nuggets to another customer's order.
Another TikTok video, captioned “Wrestling with a McDonald's robot,” shows a woman struggling to order a vanilla ice cream and a bottle of water, before ordering multiple sundaes, a packet of ketchup and two spoons of butter instead.
McDonald's First reported by industry publication Restaurant Business, the company decided not to extend the contract and instead told franchisees to remove the technology by the end of July.
“While we have seen success to date, we see opportunity to explore voice ordering solutions more broadly,” the fast-food giant said in a statement.
“After careful consideration, McDonald's has decided to end its current partnership with IBM for AOT (Automated Order Taking) and will shut down the technology in all restaurants currently testing it by July 26, 2024.”
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McDonald's also said it believes the technology will continue to be part of its future.
The decision comes amid concerns about the impact AI may have on jobs and the workplace.
