McDonald’s Closes AI Drive-Thrus After Trial Phase

After being one of the first companies to utilize AI for drive-thru orders, McDonald’s has currently made the decision to temporarily discontinue its use and reevaluate the technology.

More than 100 McDonald’s restaurants will be reverting to the traditional method of ordering food at the drive-thru, replacing their AI technology with a human-centered approach.

We’ve witnessed numerous customers on TikTok testing out the new technology in viral videos, leading to comical mishaps.

The AI drive-thrus were initially introduced in 2021 and utilized a robotic voice to interact with customers and take their orders. McDonald’s has not disclosed the reason for removing the automated drive-thrus, but as reported by Restaurant Business, all of the new technology will be deactivated by July 26.

A representative from McDonald’s stated that a decision on implementing automated ordering would be made by the end of the year, but stressed that a voice-activated ordering system for the drive-thru will be included in the future of their restaurants.

McDonald’s isn’t the only one to test AI drive-thru’s

Other companies, such as Wendy’s, Hardee’s, Carl’s Jr, and Del Taco, have also implemented AI technology at their drive-thrus, making McDonald’s not the first chain to do so.

In April, a video of a customer using the AI drive-thru at Wendy’s went viral and garnered over 13 million views. Customers were amazed by the demonstration of the new technology.

Despite sparking a debate, many were skeptical, as they argued that AI advancements are primarily focused on cutting costs and eliminating jobs for the benefit of corporate leaders, without any regulations in place.

Another individual inquired, “As teenagers and young adults, how will we be able to sustain ourselves?”

Despite some skepticism, there were also numerous individuals who strongly believed that this was the best course of action. They shared their positive experiences, saying: “I have used these in multiple restaurants and it always accurately understands my order. To me, it is a definite improvement.”