Would you like bacon on your ice cream? Or 100 Chicken McNuggets? How about eight servings of sweet tea with that?
Those order-taking misfires, captured on TikTok, are actual mistakes by automated drive-thru computers at McDonald’s. The fast-food giant recently ended its two-year partnership with IBM to test AI-powered drive-thrus at 100 locations after these and other mistakes by the bots went viral on social media.
Fast food’s foray into AI-driven order-takers is still growing. Taco Bell is expanding voice AI technology from 100 test locations to hundreds more restaurants this year. The Yum! Brands unit cited improved order accuracy and “a consistent, friendly experience” for customers as reasons. Wendy’s recently told The New York Times that its AI program gets orders right without human assistance 86% of the time. Carl’s Jr., White Castle, and Taco John’s are also using the technology. And McDonald’s didn’t rule out finding a new partner and trying again.
Fast-food drive-thrus are rugged terrain for AI. The McDonald’s test became a social-media target after embarrassing videos went viral. One shows two customers yelling “Stop! Stop!” as the bot uploads orders for 10 Chicken McNugget meals costing more than $300. Another drive-thru diner tried to remove a Coke from her order that had been requested by a customer in the next lane, only to see the order-taker replace it with eight sweet teas. Another video shows a frustrated man begging the bot not to add bacon to his ice cream.
One challenge for the bots is that indecisive customers often change their orders midstream. Also, different people say the same order in many different ways. Other diners babble or play jokes on the bots. An AI server at KFC, Kacy, is shown by one TikToker fumbling an effort to change an order, then running for human help when asked, “What is your favorite Taylor Swift song?”
In recognition that a little customer training might help, some order-taking kiosks are posting signs suggesting they speak clearly or choose from a list of suggested phrases.
