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McDonald’s to eliminate AI-operated drive-thrus this year
Date:
McDonald’s is ending its collaboration with IBM, which aimed to integrate AI technology into its drive-thru services.
According to Restaurant Business, which got hold of an internal memo sent to franchise owners last week, the major fast food chain is scheduled to discontinue the feature by July 26. The message apparently provides minimal details on the reasons for shutting down the program.
In a comment to The Register, McDonald’s provided limited information. "Our collaboration with IBM has taught us a lot, and we believe there is potential to further investigate voice ordering systems. After careful consideration, McDonald’s has chosen to conclude our global partnership with IBM on automated order taking after this year."
The project to implement AI in drive-thrus started in 2021 and saw further growth in 2022. While McDonald's will not continue using IBM's AI for their drive-thrus, it seems the two companies will maintain their business relationship in other areas of McDonald's operations.
The exact reasoning for discontinuing the current AI drive-thru system is uncertain. Although it might be due to its poor performance, the idea itself is still alive. According to the fast food company, "The aim of the trial was to see if an automated voice ordering system could streamline crew tasks and deliver a quicker, better experience for our customers."
"As we progress, our collaboration with IBM has assured us that incorporating voice ordering in our drive-thrus is a viable future option for our restaurants," the statement says. "We believe there's significant potential in enhancing our restaurant technology and will keep exploring sustainable, long-term solutions. By the end of the year, we aim to make a well-informed decision regarding the implementation of a voice ordering system."
It's possible that a different company, and not IBM, will offer this "future voice ordering solution," or McDonald's might develop it internally. If that's the case, McDonald's may have decided this way because they believe they can find more effective or cost-efficient voice recognition technology elsewhere.
A spokesperson from IBM informed us that the company collaborated with McDonald’s to create Automated Order Taker (AOT) technologies, aimed at incorporating voice-activated AI into drive-thru services at restaurants.
This technology has demonstrated extensive and reliable functionality, performing quickly and precisely even under challenging conditions. As McDonald's reassesses and improves its approach to AOT, we are excited to collaborate with them on various other initiatives. Additionally, IBM is currently engaging in discussions and pilot programs with multiple Quick-Serve Restaurant clients who are keen on exploring the AOT technology.
Concerns about privacy could have contributed to the termination of the service, as a person from Illinois filed a lawsuit against McDonald's, claiming the company breached the state's privacy regulations. Nonetheless, legal records examined by The Register indicate that the lawsuit was ultimately unsuccessful, being dismissed with prejudice in July of the previous year.
McDonald's may not need to invest so much effort into enhancing its drive-thrus, as a standard employee and an inexpensive audio system could likely provide the "voice ordering solution" it desires. ®
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