Not Loving It: McDonald’s Giving Up on Artificial Intelligence at Drive-Thru

McDonald’s has announced it will discontinue its artificial intelligence drive-thru order-taking program, ceasing a project that had been in testing for more than three years.

The AI-powered initiative, which began in 2021, was being tested at more than 100 McDonald’s locations. The program aimed to streamline the drive-thru experience by using artificial intelligence to take customer orders.

“After a thoughtful review, McDonald’s has decided to end our current partnership with IBM on automated order taking. The technology will be shut off in all restaurants currently testing it no later than July 26, 2024,” McDonald’s USA Chief Restaurant Officer, Mason Smoot, said, according to a communication acquired by Restaurant Business magazine.

Although the project is coming to an end, it marks one of many technological experiments McDonald’s has undertaken to enhance customer service and operational efficiency. The company continues to explore various innovations to improve the fast-food experience.

“While there have been successes to date, we feel there is an opportunity to explore voice ordering solutions more broadly,” Mr. Smoot reportedly added, noting that the company will make “an informed decision on a future voice ordering solution by the end of the year.”

McDonald’s told Fox Business in a statement Monday that “The goal of the test was to determine if an automated voice ordering solution could simplify operations for crew and create a faster, improved experience for our fans.”

“Through our partnership with IBM, we have captured many learnings and feel there is an opportunity to explore voice-ordering solutions more broadly,” the company added. “After thoughtful review, McDonald’s has decided to end our current global partnership with IBM on AOT beyond this year.”