In the nearly three years since McDonald’s announced that it was partnering with IBM to develop a drive-thru order-taker powered by artificial intelligence, videos popped up on social media showing confused and frustrated customers trying to correct comically inaccurate meals.
“Stop! Stop! Stop!” two friends screamed with humorous anguish on a TikTok video as an AI drive-thru misunderstands their order, tallying up 240, 250 and then 260 Chicken McNuggets.
In other videos, the AI drive-thru rings up a customer for nine iced teas instead of one, fails to explain why a customer could not order Mountain Dew and thought another wanted to add bacon to his ice cream.
So, when McDonald’s announced in a June 13 internal email, obtained by trade publication Restaurant Business, that it was ending its partnership with IBM and shutting down its AI tests at more than 100 U.S. drive-thrus, customers who had interacted with the service were probably not shocked.
The decision to abandon the IBM deal comes as many other businesses, including its competitors, are investing in AI. But it exemplifies some of the challenges companies are facing as they jockey to unlock the revolutionary technology’s potential.
Other fast-food companies have had success with AI ordering. Last year, Wendy’s formed a partnership with Google Cloud to build out its AI drive-thru system. Carl’s Jr. and Taco John’s have hired Presto, a voice AI firm for restaurants. Panda Express has approximately 30 automated order-takers at its windows through a partnership with voice AI firm SoundHound AI.
Another SoundHound partner, White Castle, has AI assistants taking orders in 15 drive-thrus and plans to roll out 100 more, spokespeople for the two companies said. The technology completes almost 90% of orders without human involvement, works efficiently with staff and reduces wait times for customers during rush hour, said Jamie Richardson, a vice president at White Castle.
“It’s great for customers. It’s equally great for team members,” he told The New York Times. “I am not able to speculate why others wouldn’t invest in similar technology, but we’ve been really happy with ours.”
Keyvan Mohajer, CEO and co-founder of SoundHound, thinks the departure by McDonald’s is simply an example of a failed partnership.
“It was very clear that they are abandoning IBM, they are not abandoning voice AI,” he said. “They are very quickly pursuing other vendors.”
McDonald’s confirmed its intention to eventually return to this technology, writing in the internal email that “a voice-ordering solution” would be in the chain’s future.
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Source:: The Denver Post – Business
