
Image: McDonald’s in the United States has suspended AI robot ordering. \Internet image
[Ta Kung Pao]In recent years, many fast food chains have explored the introduction of automation in their operations, such as using artificial intelligence (AI) systems to speed up operations and cut costs. However, the American fast food giant McDonald’s recently announced that it is dismantling the AI ordering technology in its American restaurants because the voice control system frequently makes mistakes and cannot understand customers’ instructions, which is ridiculous.
McDonald’s and IBM developed an AI system that uses voice-controlled software to process orders. It has been tested in U.S. branches since 2019, and customers who drive through the AI voice robot order takeout. However, the test results show that the system is not very reliable, and customers often receive outrageous and strange meals. McDonald’s recently told franchised restaurants that it will remove the AI automatic ordering system in more than 100 restaurants by the end of July.
This AI has caused controversy since its launch. The initial concern was that machines would steal jobs from humans. Test results have shown that it is not easy for AI to replace human employees in the catering industry. On the short video platform TikTok, many videos show a young woman telling the ordering system again and again that she wants to buy caramel ice cream, but the screen order shows “cream” one after another, which makes the woman angry and funny. In another video, a citizen claimed that her order was mixed up with someone else’s order, resulting in 9 more cups of tea on the account. There are also videos showing that some people’s meals have hundreds of dollars of extra McNuggets, and some people’s ice cream inexplicably has more bacon.
McDonald’s has ended testing of its automated ordering system, but added that the company is confident that AI technology will remain “part of the future of our restaurants.”
source: china