McDonald’s is scrapping artificial intelligence from its drive-through outlets after customers’ orders were wildly misinterpreted.
Reports of one person being given a bacon-topped ice cream and system malfunctions that saw hundreds of dollars worth of nuggets being automatically added to an order have spawned a series of mocking videos.
In one posted on TikTok, a woman attempts to order caramel ice cream but instead gets multiple portions of butter added to her order.
In another, hundreds of dollars worth of chicken nuggets are automatically added to a bill as two young women laugh and shout “stop”.
The fast-food chain has been trialling IBM’s voice recognition software since 2019 in some franchises. But now it has said the technology will be removed from more than 100 US restaurants by the end of July 2024.
McDonald’s did not offer a reason for ending its test run but it has not given up on the idea, telling Restaurant Business: “A voice-ordering solution for drive-through will be part of our restaurants’ future.”
Technology was ‘underwhelming’
Insiders told CNBC that the system had trouble understanding accents and was unable to distinguish voices from background noise. Industry analysts have previously claimed that franchisees found the technology “underwhelming”.
IBM said it would continue to work with McDonald’s in the future.
The company said: “This technology is proven to have some of the most comprehensive capabilities in the industry, fast and accurate in some of the most demanding conditions.
“While McDonald’s is re-evaluating and refining its plans for AOT [Automated Order Taking], we look forward to continuing to work with them on a variety of other projects.”
Other fast-food chains, including Wendy’s, Dunkin’ and Hardee’s, are all testing or using AI in their drive-throughs. Meanwhile Yum Brands, which owns Taco Bell and KFC, announced in 2024 that it was introducing an “AI-first mentality” in its outlets.
The rush to bring in AI systems has sparked fears over job losses. Some automated systems have come under scrutiny for relying on outsourcing from countries with cheaper labour to make them work.