McDonald’s unveils AI-enabled drive-thru system - Semafor

McDonald’s is betting that “Archy,” a new AI drive-thru system, can revitalize the fast-food chain as its sales slump and its stock plunges.

The company says the voice-enabled, English- and Spanish-speaking AI has a more than 90% accuracy rate at early-test restaurants, with positive customer feedback. But at other fast-food chains, customers don’t seem to be lovin’ the tech: Burger King, which rolled out an AI-enabled drive-thru system earlier this year, is rethinking its strategy following customer backlash.

“There are drive offs because guests don’t want to talk to a bot,” said Chakri Somisetti, Burger King’s vice president of brand technologies. For the 70 million daily customers McDonald’s has, even a 90% accuracy rate would leave 7 million facing a potential error, making for a supersized customer service test.