McDonald's drops $8.5 billion tech plan to stay ahead of Burger King
You could soon be served by AI at the McDonald's drive-thru as the world's leading fast food chain has turned to new technology as part of a wider $8.5 billion plan to stave off competition.
While many of the core classics have stayed the same for decades, fast food chains like McDonald's have always had to embrace new evolutions in technology in order to stay ahead.
Most people these days order their meals through self-service screens, yet that lack of human interaction appears to be making its way to the drive-thru experience thanks to investment in ArchIQ – McDonald's own AI driven platform.
As reported by Quartz, this new tool appears to be in the wings to transform functions like order-taking, supposedly streamlining the experience for customers and saving money for the company.
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McDonald's believes that this could be the key to reviving customer traffic in key markets, but many online fear for the worst with speculation from social media pointing towards raised prices and mistakes across the board.
McDonald's adds AI to the ordering process
The global growth plan, referred to as McDonald's > NEXT, aims to 'broaden' the use of the Google-powered AI model ArchIQ, which has been created by McDonald's and the tech giant to revolutionize its restaurants.
It has already been tested at a handful of pilot locations across the United States – with over 1 million transactions handled by a voice assistant known as 'Archy' – and roughly 90% of interactions were handled without any human interaction.
Current McDonald's CEO Chris Kempczinski urged, as per Inc., that customers shouldn't need to choose between 'hospitality or speed', and ArchIQ aims to bridge the gap and provide no compromises.
An anonymous McDonald's franchise owner on X, @McFranchisee, claimed that "Archy will not only assist drive-thru orders but act as a master brain to help managers run a better restaurant.
"It's like a personal assistant that alerts you to potential bottlenecks or issues," they added.
Some prospective customers are worried about how AI could change the experience for the worse, however, with one commenter on Reddit fearful that 'surge pricing using AI models' could soon arrive, or even generative AI meal recommendations based on your existing data profile.
What other changes is this plan implementing?
Tech might be at the forefront of an ordering revolution at McDonald's, but the company is also aware of other issues that need to be addressed, including changing diets and a desire for options catered towards the health-conscious.
New McDonald's president, Skye Anderson, outlined the need to improve restaurant operations amid weak second-quarter results in the United States, pointing towards changes in the menu that could drive customers back into stores.
Additions to the existing menu could include bowls, grilled chicken options, and even egg bites — with the fast food chain placing a particular focus on protein-forward eating amid the growing trend.