AI is still retarded and likely will be for a while, so don't worry about Terminators killing your pets quite yet. Headline:
An email to franchisees last week revealed that McDonald's is ending this test without any further expansion plans, and [they] are actively looking for a new tech partner to give this [automated-ordering] thing another shot.
"While there have been successes to date, we feel there is an opportunity to explore [voice-ordering] solutions more broadly," Mason Smoot, chief restaurant officer for McDonald's USA, told franchises in a message, according to Restaurant Business. "After a thoughtful review, McDonald's has decided to end our current partnership with IBM on AOT[,] and the technology will be shut off in all restaurants currently testing it no later than July 26, 2024."
"As we move forward, our work with IBM has given us the confidence that a voice-ordering solution for drive-thru will be part of our restaurants' future," McDonald's told Restaurant Business. "We see tremendous opportunity in advancing our restaurant technology and will continue to evaluate long-term, scalable solutions that will help us make an informed decision on a future [voice-ordering] solution by the end of the year."
McDonald's has been flirting with drive-thru AI since 2021, right after selling its McD Tech Labs to IBM. The goal was to see if a computer could speed up service. McDonald's is convinced that a future where a robot takes your order is inevitable — especially given things like Gavin Newsom's $20 minimum wage for the fast-food industry. But they also need the right AI technology that won't get confused when you ask for "no pickles."
Other fast-food chains like Checkers, Rally's, Wendy's, and Dunkin' are also diving headfirst into the AI pool, looking to replace human order takers with machines that won't complain about the minimum wage.
Be sure to visit the actual article to see the various embedded tweets and pictures of disasters as the AI fucks up everyone's orders. I see that McDonalds didn't work with Elon Musk on this. That's probably one big reason why everything failed.
And since when have you been able to request "no pickles" at McDonald's?
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