McDonald’s to end AI drive-thru experiment after errant orders — including bacon on ice cream and $222 McNuggets bill
McDonald’s is reportedly planning to end its artificial intelligence-powered automated drive-thru order-taking experiment at more than 100 locations after angry customers reported receiving items they didn’t order.
The gaffes included adding nine sweet teas to one customer’s order and giving another customer an ice cream cone topped with bacon.
The Chicago-based fast food chain and IBM partnered on the pilot program two years ago at select franchises.
But the company informed franchisees in an email Thursday that the program will end July 26, though it said it will likely reintroduce the use of AI at its drive-thru windows sometime in the future, according to Restaurant Business.
“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, told franchisees in an email obtained by Restaurant Business.
“After a thoughtful review, McDonald’s has decided to end our current partnership with IBM on AOT and the technology will be shut off in all restaurants currently testing it no later than July 26, 2024.”
Smoot added that McDonald’s will continue to evaluate its plans to make “an informed decision on a future voice ordering solution by the end of the year.”
In February, a TikTok user known as “Ren” posted a video testimonial in which she described how cross-talk from a neighboring drive-thru station led the McDonald’s AI to add nine orders of sweet tea to her bill — instead of the hash brown, sweet tea and Coke that she ordered.
Another TikToker, Madilynn Cameron, posted a video that shows her “fighting with a McDonald’s robot” as she entered a drive-thru and placed an order of vanilla ice cream without caramel — only for the machine to add cream packets instead.
“I just want a large water and a cup of ice cream,” she said in the clip from November 2022.
“Where’d the butter come from!”
In January, Cailyn Sykora posted a TikTok showing the AI-powered drive thru adding more than 20 orders of a McNuggets Meal worth some $222.
“The McDonald’s robot is wild,” the caption on the TikTok video read.
McDonald’s embrace of AI can be traced back to 2019, when it acquired the startup firm Apprente, which introduced AI-based voice solutions that can be used in customer service settings.
The acquisition of Apprente was done with the goal of eventually deploying the AI-powered technology at the restaurants’ drive-thru locations in order to improve speed and efficiency of order-taking.
McDonald’s then folded Apprente into its own AI-focused division called McD Tech Labs. In 2021, McD Tech Labs was sold to IBM.
As part of the deal, IBM partnered with McDonald’s to scale up the rollout of its AI-powered automated order taking.
McDonald’s told Restaurant Business that the goal of the pilot program was to test whether the new technology could speed up the drive-thru ordering process.
The company said IBM will still be a “trusted partner and we will still utilize many of their products across our global system.”
“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.
“We see tremendous opportunity in advancing our restaurant technology and will continue to evaluate long-term, scalable solutions that will help us make an informed decision on a future voice ordering solution by the end of the year.”
An IBM spokesperson told the publication that it is negotiating with other fast food companies about implementing its AI-powered technology.
“IBM developed automated order taker technologies with McDonald’s to support the emerging use of voice-activated AI in restaurant drive-thrus,” the company said in the statement.
“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.
IBM said that “while McDonald’s is reevaluating and refining its plans for AOT, we look forward to continuing to work with them on a variety of other projects.”
The Post has sought comment from McDonald’s and IBM.
Other fast food chains have also deployed AI technology to help streamline its customer service experience.
Companies including Checkers and Rally’s, Hardee’s, Carl’s Jr., Krystal, Wendy’s, Dunkin and Taco Johns have all either tested AI technology for its drive thrus or has fully implemented it on a permanent basis.
Domino’s is using AI voice recognition for order-taking as well as using machine learning algorithms to optimize delivery routes and times.
Starbucks has put AI to work in order to personalize customer recommendations through its app.
Kentucky Fried Chicken has started using AI software in its facial recognition technology in certain locations in China to help predict customer orders.
