McDonald’s is ending its AI drive-thru trial after customers reported errors in their orders, including adding bacon to ice cream.
The fast food chain’s AI ordering system, developed by IBM, uses voice recognition to process orders and has been deployed at more than 100 McDonald’s locations in the United States since 2021.
However, the reliability of the technology has been called into question in recent months, with members of the public sharing videos of order mix-ups on social media.
In addition to garnishing a dessert with bacon, the AI The drive-thru assistant added $211 (£166) worth of chicken nuggets to another customer’s order.
In another TikTok video – posted with the caption “Fighting with the McDonald’s robot” – a woman is seen struggling to order vanilla ice cream and a bottle of water, and instead ends up with several ice cream sundaes, ketchup packets and two servings of butter.
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McDonalds has now asked franchisees to remove the technology by the end of July as it has decided not to extend the contract, a decision first reported by trade publication Restaurant Business.
The fast food giant said in a statement: “While there have been successes to date, we believe there is an opportunity to explore voice control solutions more broadly.
“After careful review, McDonald’s has decided to end our current partnership with IBM on AOT (automated order taking) and the technology will be discontinued in all restaurants currently testing it no later than July 26, 2024.”
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McDonald’s also expressed confidence that this technology will always be part of the company’s future.
The move comes amid concerns about the potential impact of AI on employment and the workplace.
