Last Updated: 12 February 2025
Companies have been saying AI is the future of the industry, but there have also been viral videos showing AI errors with orders.
McDonald’s is ending its use of artificial intelligence chatbots at drive-thrus, sparking discussions about the fast food industry's rush to use technology.
The biggest burger chain in the world plans to remove these AI order systems from over 100 locations across the USA.
These systems, which interacted with customers using an AI voice, were part of a collaboration between McDonald’s and IBM that started in 2021. According to Restaurant Business, McDonald’s hasn’t provided specific reasons for ending the experiment but informed franchise owners that the technology would be phased out by July 26.
A McDonald's spokesperson mentioned that they will determine their next steps for automated orders by the end of the year. They still believe “a voice-ordering solution for drive-thru will be part of our restaurants’ future.”
The fast-food industry is increasingly interested in incorporating AI into operations. McDonald's isn’t the only company exploring this technology—others like Wendy's, Hardee's, Carl's Jr., and Del Taco have also adopted AI for their drive-thrus. Yum Brands, which owns Taco Bell and KFC, announced earlier this year that they’re adopting an "AI-first mentality."
The growing interest is driven by the belief that AI can help reduce reliance on human workers and address rising labor costs. For example, after a new minimum wage law for fast-food workers was introduced in California, businesses started turning to AI for tasks like customer orders.
While AI is seen by some as the future of fast food, these tools have had their share of mistakes, leading to viral videos. Last year, McDonald’s AI systems were shown on TikTok adding incorrect items like butter packets or dramatically increasing the number of items ordered.
One video even captured two women laughing uncontrollably as the system added hundreds of dollars’ worth of nuggets to their bill.
The automated systems have also faced criticism for relying on outsourced human support to function. Presto Automation Inc., which provides AI assistance to fast-food chains, disclosed in an SEC document that staff from countries like the Philippines handled customer interactions about 70% of the time.
Beyond drive-thru orders, fast-food companies are also exploring how generative AI could be used for tasks like digital chatbots on apps or even image recognition to estimate wait times.
In December last year, McDonald’s partnered with Google to develop a chatbot called "Ask Pickles," which helps train employees on tasks like cleaning restaurant equipment. Bloomberg has also reported that McDonald’s is looking into other ways to use generative AI.
