McDonald’s scraps AI pilot after order mix-ups go viral
Al Jazeera
Fast food giant pulls plug on AI-powered voice-ordering at about 100 outlets after viral videos of order mishaps.
McDonald’s is scrapping a trial of artificial intelligence (AI)-assisted ordering at select drive-through restaurants after videos of order mix-ups went viral online.
The fast food giant’s decision to retire the AI-powered voice-ordering system from about 100 outlets comes as restaurant chains rush to embrace the technology to cut back on mounting labour costs.
McDonald’s launched the pilot in partnership with IBM at a select number of drive-through restaurants in the United States in 2021.
Trade publication Restaurant Business first reported the news on Friday.
“While there have been successes to date, we feel there is an opportunity to explore voice ordering solutions more broadly,” Mason Smoot, the chief restaurant officer for McDonald’s USA, said in an email cited by Restaurant Business.
