Some McDonald's customers have experienced problems with the chain's AI-powered voice system at its drive-thrus, according to videos posted on social media.
McDonald's began testing the voice assistant at some drive-thrus in Chicago in 2019, shortly after acquiring the conversational technology firm Apprente.
- The company has since expanded the AI voice tech to other locations, though the exact number was not disclosed.
- In some videos posted on social media, customers showed the AI-enabled voice ordering experiencing inaccuracies and problems getting their orders right.
- In one video posted to TikTok, a woman tries to order a water and an ice cream cup, but the AI system continues to display the order as two butters and four ketchup packets.
- Last June, it was reported that the McDonald's technology's accuracy rate was in the low 80% range, lower than the 95% rate the chain had targeted for wider adoption.
- Apprente, which initially developed the AI system, later became McD Tech Labs and was sold to IBM last year.
- IBM and McDonald's have a strategic AI partnership to scale the automated technology.
