After months of trying, and failing, to incorporate the tech into its drive-thrus, McDonald’s is pulling the plug on its AI experiment.
What does this move mean for the company going forward?
McDonald’s Foray Into AI Technology
On June 13th, McDonald’s announced that the brand was halting their attempts at incorporating AI into drive-thru infrastructure after it was…
Not as successful as originally planned.
McDonald’s AI got its start in 2017 when the company installed AI-powered menu boards in 700 locations across the country.
But in this latest attempt, which they initiated in 2021…
Did more to give customers a bad experience than a good one.
The system allowed customers to make their orders directly to McDonald’s AI software…
Rather than the traditional drive-thru worker.
The system however had issues in comprehending customers’ accents and dialects.
In 2021 the accuracy of the system was found to be 85%, yet more recently…
THE SYSTEM WAS FOUND MESSING UP AN ESTIMATED ONE IN FIVE ORDERS
And customers were not happy. Many took to social media to share their gripes regarding the experiment. In one of the mistakes, the AI drive-thru assistant added a whopping 2110 chicken nugget meals to a customer’s order.
Now the trial has been discontinued, but this doesn’t mean that it’s the end of AI at McDonald’s or in any drive-thru for that matter.
After all, almost every quick-service restaurant is investing in the technology. Taco Bell, for example, is using its own AI software to monitor employees’ productivity while on the clock.
Order Up…
McDonald’s stated that they will be reviewing how to move forward with AI tech in its restaurants and will have more details towards the end of the year…
BUT THEY ALSO ASSERTED THAT AI-POWERED VOICE TECHNOLOGY IS DEFINITELY IN THE INEVITABLE FUTURE.
Let’s just hope that the next time they incorporate it…
Customers won’t be drowned in chicken nuggets.
Be Great,
GCTV Staff
Disclaimer: This content is intended to be used for educational and informational purposes only. Individual results may vary. You should perform your own due diligence and seek the advice from a professional to verify any information on our website or materials that you are relying upon if you choose to make an investment or business decision. Investment, real estate, and business involve great risk and there is no guarantee of performance or results.We are not attorneys, investment advisers, accountants, tax professionals or financial advisers and any of the content presented should not be taken as professional advice. We recommend seeking the advice of a financial professional before you invest, and we accept no liability whatsoever for any loss or damage you may incur.
