McDonald’s Ends AI Drive-Thru Orders, Concluding IBM Partnership

To enhance the drive-thru experience, McDonald's has tested AI-powered ordering systems at over 100 locations for the past two years to streamline the ordering process and improve operational efficiency. However, the fast-food giant has decided to conclude this trial by the end of July and return to human employees for order-taking.

Navigating Future Innovations in Drive-Thru Technology

McDonald's has decided to stop testing AI-powered drive-thru ordering systems. The company has been testing IBM's technology for the past two years at over 100 locations. By the end of July, these AI systems will be removed, and customers will return to placing orders with human employees.

The trial aimed to streamline the ordering process and improve efficiency, but the results have led McDonald's to reconsider its approach. As a result, Restaurant Business reported that McDonald's is ending its automated order-taking (AOT) partnership with IBM.

However, the fast-food giant may be exploring new partnerships for future AOT projects, indicating that while this trial is ending, the pursuit of automation in drive-thru services is still on their radar. This move reflects McDonald's commitment to enhancing customer experience while staying open to innovative solutions.

Despite some successes with the AI-powered drive-thru ordering systems, Mason Smoot, chief restaurant officer for McDonald's USA, believes there is a broader opportunity to explore voice ordering solutions.

The company plans to consider other options and aims to decide on a future voice-ordering solution by the end of the year. There is confidence that a voice ordering solution for drive-thru will eventually be part of McDonald's future, even though the partnership with IBM is ending.

McDonald's plans to continue evaluating its options to make an informed decision on a future voice-ordering solution by the end of the year. The company has tested drive-thru voice AI since 2021, after selling McD Tech Labs to IBM that same year.

Embracing Technological Evolution

McDonald's stated that the AI-powered drive-thru test aimed to see if automated voice ordering could speed up service and simplify operations. The company assured that IBM remains a trusted partner, with many products still used across McDonald's global system.

The company expressed confidence in IBM's technology, believing that a voice-ordering solution for drive-thru will be part of its future. McDonald's sees great potential in advancing restaurant technology and will continue to evaluate scalable solutions. It aims to make an informed decision on a future voice-ordering system by the end of the year.

IBM is discussing implementing its technology with other fast-food chains. The company highlighted that it developed automated order-taker technologies with McDonald's to support the growing use of voice-activated AI in drive-thrus.

IBM stated that this technology is among the most advanced in the industry, offering fast and accurate performance even in demanding conditions. As McDonald's reassesses and refines its plans for automated order taking, IBM looks forward to continuing their collaboration on various other projects.