McDonald’s discontinues AI drive-thru trial due to order errors | Technology News
McDonald’s is terminating its AI drive-thru trial after customers experienced errors in their orders – such as bacon being added to ice cream.
The fast food chain’s AI ordering system, created by IBM, utilizes voice recognition to process orders and has been implemented at over 100 McDonald’s locations in the US since 2021.
However, the reliability of the technology has been questioned recently, with individuals sharing videos of order mix-ups on social media.
In addition to topping a dessert with bacon, the AI drive-thru assistant mistakenly added $211 (£166) worth of chicken nuggets to another customer’s order.
In another TikTok video – captioned “Fighting with McDonald’s robot” – a woman is shown struggling to order vanilla ice cream and a bottle of water, only to receive multiple sundaes, ketchup sachets, and two portions of butter instead.
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McDonald’s has now instructed franchisees to remove the technology by the end of July as it has decided against extending the contract, as reported by Restaurant Business.
The fast food giant stated: “While there have been successes to date, we feel there is an opportunity to explore voice ordering solutions more broadly.
“After a thoughtful review, McDonald’s has decided to end our current partnership with IBM on AOT (automated order taking) and the technology will be shut off in all restaurants currently testing it no later than 26 July, 2024.”
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McDonald’s also expressed confidence that the technology would remain a part of the company’s future.
This decision comes amidst concerns about the potential impact of AI on jobs and the workplace.
