In a surprising move, McDonald’s has decided to end its partnership with IBM to develop an AI-powered drive-thru order taker after numerous comical mishaps in taking customer orders. The company confirmed the termination of its AI drive-thru services and emphasized that a “voice ordering solution” will still be a part of its future plans. Some industry experts see this as a setback for AI technology, indicating that current systems are costly, imprecise, and require human oversight. While many other fast food chains have successfully implemented AI ordering systems, McDonald’s may be holding out for more reliable solutions before reentering the market. Experts predict that McDonald’s will continue to invest in AI for other aspects of its business, such as its mobile app. Despite the challenges, other companies like Wendy’s and Presto have reported high success rates with their AI-powered drive-thrus, suggesting that the technology has promising potential for the future, especially when used in conjunction with large language models like ChatGPT. As the AI technology continues to evolve, it is likely that more companies will explore its applications for self-service and create more seamless customer experiences across various industries.
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https://www.nytimes.com/2024/06/21/business/mcdonalds-ai-drive-thru-white-castle.html
