McDonald's Suspends AI Ordering System Following Widespread Errors

The fast food chain has chosen to end its collaboration with IBM, resulting in over 100 of its locations discontinuing the use of the technology.

AI appears to be unprepared for the dinner rush, as evidenced by McDonald’s decision to terminate its AI ordering test following a series of widely shared errors on social media.

Although AI has driven numerous groundbreaking innovations, its mistakes have become notorious in 2024. Despite being in its early stages, these errors have tangible effects, impacting users in unexpected ways.

In response, the world's largest fast food chain is discontinuing its AI drive-thru voice ordering system, prompting the question: will this technology ever be reliable enough to replace human workers?

McDonald’s Halts AI Ordering in Over 100 Locations

In an email to franchisees last week, McDonald’s announced it is discontinuing its AI ordering test, known as Automated Order Taker. Introduced in 2021, the system will be fully removed from over 100 restaurants by the end of the month.

This AI ordering initiative was a result of McDonald’s partnership with IBM, allowing drive-thru customers to place orders for Big Macs and McNuggets through AI rather than human employees.

Despite its promise, the technology was imperfect, correctly processing orders about 85% of the time but requiring human assistance for roughly 20% of orders. The frequent errors, many of which went viral in 2023, underscored that the technology isn't yet ready for widespread use, leading to its shutdown.

Has AI Ordering at Fast Food Restaurants Reached Its End?

When the world's largest fast food chain abandons its AI efforts, it might seem like a major setback for the technology. If a company with nearly 42,000 locations can’t make it work, what chance do others have?

However, McDonald’s remains optimistic about AI's potential. According to a spokesperson:

“As we move forward, our work with IBM has given us the confidence that a voice ordering solution for drive-thru will be part of our restaurants’ future. We see tremendous opportunity in advancing our restaurant technology and will continue to evaluate long-term, scalable solutions that will help us make an informed decision on a future voice ordering solution by the end of the year.”

Furthermore, while McDonald’s is pausing its efforts, other fast food chains, such as Hardee’s, are reportedly experimenting with the technology as well.

AI Blunders Abound

If you've followed AI developments in recent years, you'll know that McDonald’s isn’t the only company grappling with significant AI failures.

Take Google, for instance. They scaled back their AI Overview initiative, a system intended to provide comprehensive overviews of search results. The project faltered when it started producing absurd answers like “adding glue to pizza can make it cheesier” and “a healthy diet consists of eating rocks,” prompting a reassessment by the tech giant.

AI errors are now as prevalent as its successes. From false accusations to generating inappropriate content, these mistakes have real-world consequences for the people who depend on the technology.

It’s still unclear whether AI is just going through growing pains or if it has hit an informational plateau that makes it unreliable for sustained use. For now, it looks like you’ll be ordering your next McDouble from a human cashier.