McDonald's To Shut Down AI-powered Drive-thru Ordering Trial

(RTTNews) - McDonald's Corp. (MCD)has decided to discontinue its two-year trial of drive-thru AI-powered automated-order-taking or AOT in collaboration with IBM.

Over 100 restaurants have been using this technology, but due to customer complaints about receiving incorrect items, such as nine sweet teas in one order and a bacon-topped ice cream cone in another, the decision has been made to remove the technology from these locations. Several videos on TikTok show confused customers receiving unexpected items they never ordered.

The company has informed franchisees that it will conclude its AI drive-thru ordering partnership with IBM "no later than July 26th, 2024," as reported by the trade publication Restaurant Business. McDonald's USA's chief restaurant officer, Mason Smoot, has mentioned that the company will review its strategies to make an informed decision on a future voice ordering solution by the end of the year.

On the other hand, IBM has expressed its willingness to collaborate with other fast-food chains to implement this technology. The company stated, "While McDonald's is re-evaluating and refining its plans for AOT, we look forward to continuing to work with them on a variety of other projects."

Despite this setback, McDonald's has stated that they are exploring ways to enhance service efficiency through voice-ordering technology and are optimistic about incorporating it into their future operations. This implies that McDonald's plans to find a new partner for its automated order-taking efforts.