McDonald's is ending its test run of AI-powered drive-thrus with IBM
Ever get your McDonald’s order mixed up at an AI-powered drive-thru
NEW YORK — Ever get your McDonald's order mixed up at an AI-powered drive-thru? The experiment behind the fast food giant's current automated order taker will soon be coming to a close.
McDonald's confirmed late Monday that it decided to end a global partnership with IBM, which has been testing this artificial intelligence technology at select McDonald's drive-thrus since late 2021.
That doesn't mean you'll never encounter some sort of chatbot while picking up fries on your car ride home again. While the IBM partnership for McDonald's current automated order taker test is winding down, the Chicago-based company suggested that it wasn't ruling other any other potential AI drive-thru plans down the road — pointing to “an opportunity to explore voice ordering solutions more broadly.”
“Our work with IBM has given us the confidence that a voice ordering solution for drive-thru will be part of our restaurants’ future,” McDonald's said in a prepared statement this week — adding that it would continue evaluations to “make an informed decision on a future voice ordering solution by the end of the year.”
Numerous fast food chains have begun exploring the implementation of AI across operations over recent years, with many pointing to possibilities of maximizing speed and cutting costs.
In the U.S., Wendy’s partnered with Google Cloud to develop “Wendy’s FreshAI" chatbot. White Castle teamed up with SoundHound AI with a goal of bringing voice-powered AI technology to more than 100 restaurants by the end of 2024. And a handful of Panera, Arby's and Popeyes locations have brought OpenCity's “Tori” voice assistant to their order lanes.
Beyond America, Popeyes U.K.
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