McDonald’s removes AI-powered voice ordering technology from Drive Thrus

• McDonald’s is removing automated order-taking technology from more than 100 restaurants.
• The food chain teamed up with IBM in 2021 to develop and deploy artificial intelligence software.
• Videos showing flaws in technology at a McDonald’s restaurant have gone viral in 2023.

The rise of artificial intelligence was supposed to destroy jobs in various industries, including restaurants.

Turns out it’s not there yet.

McDonald’s He told the franchise operators IBM announced Thursday that it has removed its AI order-taking technology from more than 100 drives, marking the end of a testing period conducted with IBM.

A McDonald’s spokesperson confirmed the decision to Business Insider in a statement, saying customers were introduced to the technology in 2021 when McDonald’s entered into a global partnership with IBM.

Under the partnership, IBM acquired McD Tech Labs, which McDonald’s created after it took control of AI company Apprente in 2019.

The two companies developed and deployed the technology during a testing period “to determine whether an automated voice ordering solution can streamline operations for crew and create a faster, improved experience for our fans.”

McDonald’s CEO Chris Kempczinski told CNBC in June 2021 that voice recognition technology was accurate about 85% of the time, but human employees had to assist with about one in five orders.

However, her failures have gone viral on the Internet.

Videos of customers struggling to use an automated order taker first gained attention on TikTok last year. Some customers indicated that technology botched their orders, causing frustration and annoyance.

One video showed a woman trying to order water and a cup of vanilla ice cream. The AI ​​system counted these items but incorrectly added four ketchup packets and three butter packets to her order.

In another video, a TikTok user said she ordered a large cup of sweet iced tea, but the AI-powered technology added nine cups of sweet iced tea instead.

Although McDonald’s’ partnership with IBM on its Automated Order Taker program has ended, the food company said it will continue to explore how the technology can improve its workflow.

“As we move forward, our work with IBM has given us confidence that a voice ordering solution for drive-thru will be part of the future of our restaurants,” McDonald’s told BI in the statement. “We see tremendous opportunity in evolving our restaurant technology and will continue to evaluate long-term, scalable solutions that will help us make an informed decision on our future voice ordering solution by the end of the year.”

IBM said it will continue to work with McDonald’s on other projects.

“This technology has been proven to have some of the most comprehensive capabilities in the industry, and is fast and accurate in some of the most demanding conditions,” the company said in a statement. “As McDonald’s reevaluates and refines its plans for AOT, we look forward to continuing to work with them on a variety of other projects.”

“IBM is also now in discussions and piloting with several Quick-Serve restaurant customers interested in AOT technology,” the statement added.

McDonald’s began using artificial intelligence technology in its restaurants since 2019, according to the British newspaper “Daily Mail”. National Restaurant News. It installed 700 AI-powered menu boards that included an automated suggestive selling feature.