McDonald's Abandons Major Drive-Thru Change It Was Testing

AI lanes began testing in 2021.

By Brenda Alexander

Apparently, artificial intelligence isn't all that it's cracked up to be, or at least the most reliable. McDonald's has been testing automated drive-thru's in certain locations, and it's seemingly more trouble than it's worth. The Associated Press reports the fast food chain confirmed its decision to end a global partnership with IBM, which has been testing this artificial intelligence technology at select McDonald's drive-thrus since 2021. It's not ruling out AI altogether and may try again in the future, though a timeline wasn't provided.

"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 in a prepared statement, adding that it would continue evaluations to "make an informed decision on a future voice ordering solution by the end of the year."

McDonald's isn't the only fast food eatery that has begun exploring the implementation of AI across operations over recent years. Some chains believe AI is a way to maximize the speed of orders and save money in the long run.

In the U.S., Wendy's partnered with Google Cloud to develop "Wendy's FreshAI" chatbot. White Castle works with SoundHound AI to bring voice-powered AI technology to more than 100 restaurants by the end of 2024. Panera, Arby's and Popeyes locations merged with OpenCity's "Tori" voice assistant to their order lanes.

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The AI implementation and tests have expanded beyond America. Popeyes U.K. also launched its first AI-powered drive-thru (dubbed "Al"). The company reported a 97% accuracy.

AI lanes have had mixed reviews. Some of its successes and failures, particularly McDonald's, have been documented on social media. Sources have alleged to CNBC that the technology has had trouble understanding accents and dialects. The AI lanes for McDonald's are expected to shut down "no later than July 26, 2024."

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