McDonald's pulls AI ordering from drive-thrus — for now

McDonald’s is discontinuing its artificial intelligence (AI) ordering technology after testing it at over 100 drive-thru systems in the US. The move may hinder the rapid adoption of AI in the fast food industry. McDonald’s had collaborated with IBM to develop and trial AI-driven, voice-automated ordering. While the company still intends to explore AI-related solutions, it plans to switch off the technology in the participating restaurants by July 26, 2024. McDonald’s and IBM had partnered in 2021 to create an improved ordering experience, but McDonald’s may consider other AI partners going forward. Other fast-food chains have also experimented with AI in their operations.