Bacon Ice Cream and Nugget Overload Sees Misfiring McDonald's Artificial Intelligence Withdrawn
Following hilarious errors and misread requests, McDonald's is disabling AI-powered ordering system from its drive-through outlets in the United States. The testing system, designed by IBM, was confronted with viral videos of unusual orders such as bacon-topped ice cream and extra chicken nuggets. McDonald's will remove the technology from over 100 locations by the end of July, but it remains optimistic about the future of AI in its eateries.
McDonald's has chosen to remove its artificial intelligence (AI)-powered ordering technology from its drive-through locations in the United States. IBM built the system, which uses voice recognition software, and it was introduced as a trial in 2019.
However, it has encountered countless amusing errors, leading to viral videos of strangely misread requests. From bacon-topped ice cream to hundreds of dollars' worth of chicken nuggets, the AI system has struggled to accurately process customer requests.
According to reports, McDonald's will be removing the AI technology from over 100 restaurants where it has been tested by the end of July. Customers expressed their dissatisfaction with the system online, prompting the decision.
McDonald's informed franchisees of the departure, indicating that it will discontinue its present global cooperation with IBM on Automated Order Taking (AOT) after this year. Despite the setback, McDonald's is still enthusiastic about the future of AI in its restaurants.
The firm claimed that it will continue to examine long-term, scalable solutions for voice ordering and expects to make an informed choice on a future voice ordering solution before the end of the year. The introduction of artificial intelligence (AI) technology in the fast-food business has sparked both excitement and fear. Initially, there were concerns that AI would replace human labour, perhaps causing job losses.
However, the AI order-taker's errors have demonstrated that replacing human staff may not be as simple as previously imagined. Videos showcasing the AI system's blunders have attracted a lot of attention online. In one TikTok video, a dissatisfied consumer attempts to get caramel ice cream but receives many piles of butter instead. Another video shows a client receiving nine orders of tea owing to a misunderstanding with another customer's order.
In addition, a viral video shows two customers being surprised when hundreds of dollars worth of chicken nuggets are added to their order. The New York Post also stated that bacon was accidentally added to someone's ice cream. While the withdrawal of the AI study may assuage immediate concerns, it does not signal the end of discussions concerning the influence of AI in the workplace.
IBM has stated that it will continue to collaborate with McDonald's on future initiatives, highlighting the technology's broad capabilities.
McDonald's is removing AI-powered ordering technology from its US drive-through restaurants after comical mishaps and misinterpreted orders.
The trial system, developed by IBM, faced viral videos of bizarre orders, including bacon-topped ice cream and excessive chicken nuggets.
McDonald's will remove the technology from over 100 restaurants by the end of July but remains confident in the future of AI in its restaurants.
Source: BBC