McDonald’s USA has been working with IBM on a voice-ordering solution for their drive-thru restaurants. Mason Smoot, the chief restaurant officer for McDonald’s USA, expressed confidence in this technology and thanked IBM and the restaurant teams involved in the testing process. The company sees great potential in advancing restaurant technology and aims to make a decision on implementing a voice ordering solution by the end of the year. McDonald’s also expressed interest in working with IBM on future projects.
In addition to their work with IBM, McDonald’s has been working with restaurant tech company Presto Automation to develop drive-thru AI technology. The company’s expansion plans include incorporating AI more broadly at their restaurants. With a goal to increase the number of worldwide restaurants from 41,822 to 50,000 by 2027, McDonald’s plans to focus on personalized digital offers through their mobile app and increasing efficiency in their drive-thru lanes with the help of AI technology.