McDonald's to End Automated Ordering AI System Test
TapTechNews June 17th, McDonald's controversial automated ordering AI system will temporarily stop testing for now, and customers who often have their orders messed up by the AI chatbot can breathe a sigh of relief. According to industry publication Restaurant Business, McDonald's has informed its franchisees that it will end the test of the automated voice ordering system in partnership with IBM by July 26, 2024.
This collaborative project that started in 2021 was piloted in over 100 McDonald's drive-thru restaurants. Currently, McDonald's has not disclosed the specific reason for terminating the partnership with IBM.
However, McDonald's still sees a bright future for automated ordering AI technology. They previously stated that this test has convinced them that 'voice ordering solutions will be a part of future restaurants.'
It's speculated that McDonald's may seek another partner to continue to advance the relevant technology R & D. Last December, McDonald's announced a partnership with Google, but the details of the cooperation are vague. According to Bloomberg, one of the contents of the cooperation is to provide a chatbot named 'Ask Pickles' for employees to seek guidance in aspects such as cleaning ice cream machines.
It's worth noting that Google has already partnered with Wendy's last year to test an automated ordering AI system based on its technology and has made progress.
TapTechNews has noticed that in addition to McDonald's, other fast-food chains are also eager to embrace AI technology. For example, WhiteCastle is testing an AI system provided by the voice recognition company SoundHound, while brands such as Carl's Jr. and Hardee's are using automated ordering AI chatbots remotely controlled by humans (disclosed in the documents of the US Securities and Exchange Commission, and most controllers are located in the Philippines).
In fact, automated ordering AI is only part of McDonald's attempts to automate restaurant operations in recent years. They have also launched mobile ordering, in-store self-service kiosk systems, and have experimented with new technologies such as drone delivery, kitchen robots, and the controversial AI recruitment tool.