McDonalds AI DRIVE-THRU
2021
McDonald’s partnered with IBM to test an Automated Order Taker that promised to speed up the drive-thru process by replacing humans with artificial intelligence.
Reality proved too messy for AI. The AI bot often misheard customers and adding bizarre extras like nine sweet teas or bacon on ice cream. Background noise, accents, and overlapping voices left the system confused, forcing staff to step in and redo orders. Viral TikToks of these fails turned the experiment into a public joke.
After three years of testing the company pulled the plug in July 2024. The dream of robotized fast-food ordering was no match for the chaos of real-world drive-thrus.
Did McDonald’s fail. No, not at all. They did this right, they tested this new technology at only 100 locations. There are over 40,000 McDonald’s locations. If they had installed this expensive tech at all the locations at an enormous cost only to find out it did not work, that would have been a failure. They desiged this as an experiment in real life, with real restaurants and real customers and the results of this test were that the AI drive-thru does not work. Yet.
Additional info:
The Guardian - McDonald’s ends AI drive-thru trial as fast-food industry tests automation
Sky News - McDonald's ends AI drive-thru trial after order mishaps
The New York Times - 260 McNuggets? McDonald’s Ends A.I. Drive-Through Tests Amid Errors