McDonald's is reportedly discontinuing its Automated Order Taking (AOT) test run at drive-thrus due to numerous errors, such as order mix-ups and weird food pairing recommendations.
The fast-food giant will be removing the technology implemented back in 2021 from more than 100 restaurants that have been using it. In a memo sent to the franchises, the company will also end its AI partnership with IBM by July 26th, 2024.
In an email obtained by Restaurant Business, McDonalds is not entirely abandoning the idea of AI in order taking but is searching for the right vendor to provide the technology:
“While there have been successes to date, we feel there is an opportunity to explore voice ordering solutions more broadly,” Mason Smoot, Chief Restaurant Officer for McDonald’s USA, said in the system message.
The company clarified that IBM remains a trusted partner, and they will continue using many of their products globally.
“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,” McDonald’s said.
While McDonald’s AI plans for the future are uncertain, Google might be the next big tech company supplying the newest solutions that will improve the ordering experience. The fast-food giant announced a partnership with Google Cloud at its investor day in December 2023, yet neither company has revealed the specifics of the collaboration.
Several fast-food chains, including Wendy’s, Carl’s Jr., Taco John’s, Panda Express, and White Castle, have successfully embraced AI-driven ordering systems. Wendy’s collaborated with Google Cloud to develop its AI-powered drive-thru system. Meanwhile, Panda Express and White Castle utilize SoundHound AI to manage more than 40 drive-thrus with plans to expand to 100 more.
