The McDonald’s AI drive-thru is now a thing of the past.
The fast-food giant is officially removing artificial intelligence powdered technology within its drive-thru restaurants, after ending its two-year partnership with IBM. McDonald’s has been testing the technology at over 100 restaurants nationwide, but now says it will remove all AI systems by the end of July.
“The goal of the test was to determine if an automated voice ordering solution could simplify operations for crew and create a faster, improved experience for our fans. Through our partnership with IBM, we have captured many learnings and feel there is an opportunity to explore voice ordering solutions more broadly,” McDonald's said in a statement to Fortune.
“As we move forward, our work with IBM has given us the confidence that a voice ordering solution for drive-thru will be part of our restaurants’ future. We see tremendous opportunity in advancing our restaurant technology and will continue to evaluate long-term, scalable solutions that will help us make an informed decision on a future voice ordering solution by the end of the year,” the company added.
The recent termination comes after customers shared several public mishaps while attempting to order from the AI. In one viral TikTok video, a customer attempts to order a caramel ice cream, only for the AI to add multiple stacks of butter to her order. In another instance, two customers can’t contain their laughter while an exorbitant amount of chicken nuggets is added to their order. A separate customer is given ice cream topped with bacon, which they never asked for while ordering.
In an email obtained by Restaurant Business, Mason Smoot, chief restaurant officer for McDonald’s USA, said the company plans to make “an informed decision on a future voice-ordering solution by the end of the year.” IBM is currently working with other fast-food chains including Wendy’s, Hardee’s, and Dunkin' to implement AI in their drive-thru restaurants.
