Franchisees were informed by the corporation that although the IBM cooperation will terminate at the end of next month, AI-powered drive-thru order technology will still be developed in the future.
McDonald’s has decided to end the testing of an AI-powered ordering assistant, which could be a setback for the technology’s eventual mainstream use.
According to industry newspaper Restaurant Business, the fast food chain will terminate its two-year agreement with IBM for the AI system by July 26. As a result, the technology will be removed from roughly 100 locations across the country.
At the drive-thru order window, customers could converse with an AI-powered assistant rather than a human agent thanks to the IBM partnership’s “Automated Order Technology.”
Franchisees were informed by the corporation that although the IBM cooperation will terminate at the end of next month, AI-powered drive-thru order technology will still be developed in the future.
“While there have been successes to date, we feel there is an opportunity to explore voice ordering solutions more broadly,” McDonald’s executive Mason Smoot wrote in a message acquired by Restaurant Business. “IBM has given us confidence that a voice ordering solution for drive-thru will be part of our restaurant’s future, and we want to sincerely thank IBM and the restaurant teams that have been part of this crucial test.”
The fast food chain told Restaurant Business that it will continue to work with IBM on other technologies for its business.
McDonald’s isn’t the only fast food chain to dabble in AI ordering. Both White Castle and Wendy’s are among the companies who have announced plans to roll out automated ordering in some capacity. Checkers and Rally’s, Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s and Dunkin have also begun development on the tech, according to Restaurant Business.
The tech development balances a desire to lower staffing needs to save money with the need for quick and accurate service, though it’s currently unclear if the technology is good enough to replace drive-thru staff entirely. Some customers have complained that the tech can’t understand certain accents or can have trouble discerning background noise.