A potential snag in the fast food industry’s quick adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) ordering technology is that McDonald’s is discontinuing the technology it was testing at over 100 drive-thrus in the US. At several of its eateries, the business developed and tested voice-activated, AI-driven ordering systems in collaboration with IBM. While its competitors are investing similarly, the fast food behemoth claims it is still working on AI-related solutions.
As reported by Restaurant Business, a trade newspaper, it intends to turn off the equipment in restaurants taking part in the test by July 26, 2024. As part of its “Accelerating the Arches” expansion plan, McDonald’s and IBM announced the development of Automated Order Taking (AOT) technology in 2021. The goal of this technology is to make ordering easier and more comfortable for both consumers and restaurant personnel.
According to IBM, the alliance produced AOT technology with “some of the most comprehensive capabilities in the industry, fast and accurate” under difficult circumstances. McDonald’s is reassessing and fine-tuning their AOT ambitions, but IBM released a statement expressing their excitement about carrying on with them on a range of other initiatives. McDonald’s claims that its AI initiatives will continue. By the end of 2024, it intends to “evaluate long-term, scalable solutions” for voice ordering.
