McDonald’s fires AI chatbots for getting orders wrong

McDonald’s fires AI chatbots for getting orders wrong

2024-06-20

Should an AI be fired for poor performance? McDonald’s in the U.S. has finally pulled the plug on its AI drive-thru, after years of ordering mishaps. Customers have highlighted ridiculous errors on social media, such as bacon added to ice cream and orders overflowing with chicken nuggets. The fast-food giant says that by August of this year, all of its AI systems will get the chop.

In a video posted to social media, McDonald’s customers in the U.S. struggle to order from an AI drive-thru. The system tries to give them 30 McNugget meals at a cost of more than NT$10,000.

One customer orders vanilla ice cream and gets three extra portions of butter. Another receives ice cream topped with bacon, a flabbergasting combo. Since 2021, McDonald’s has installed AI voice ordering systems in over 100 drive-thrus, in order to save on labor costs. But the AI’s gaffes have been continual, as have customer complaints.

Member of the U.S. public
What I can’t stand, and I hate it for the life of me, is this new AI ordering at the McDonald’s drive-thrus. I just want to be able to communicate that to a human being.

Former McDonald’s executive
People would order things, it would be completely wrong, you would get 1,000 of this, a 1,000 of that. (We) announced we are scrapping the entire IBM AI chatbot thing.

Due to the mountain of issues, McDonald’s in the U.S. announced that it will remove all automated AI-based order systems by the end of July. But the company says it still plans to use technology to assist with future operations.

AI ordering is not uncommon in the U.S. fast food industry. In Taiwan’s McDonald’s, humans are still king, although they’re supported by self-service ordering machines.

Member of the public
I use the self-service machines next to the counter to order food. These machines should be used in tandem with real people, and the real people should be on site.

Member of the public
It would be great if AI could take your order through voice recognition. Of course that would be great. But it shouldn’t make mistakes.

Some people want to try out AI ordering. Others worry they’ll be charged the wrong amount and that there won’t be people on hand to handle it. When it comes to AI versus humans, it’s Round 1 to the humans.

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點餐得到"冰淇淋加培根" 美國麥當勞AI被炒魷魚

2024-06-20

AI應用無所不在，美國麥當勞2021年宣布，在得來速安裝IBM開發的"自動語音點餐系統"。但最近卻出現許多問題，AI點餐狂出包，像是：在冰淇淋上加培根，或點了30份的雞塊餐，讓客人相當崩潰，怒喊還我真人服務生，因此美國麥當勞宣布，七月底前〝開除〞這套AI系統。

美國有民眾到麥當勞點餐，結果AI秀逗，暴點了30份雞塊餐，台幣破萬，讓他們相當無奈。

還有人想點香草冰淇淋，結果機台跳針，多點了3份奶油。這還不是最慘，有人的冰淇淋莫名被加了條培根，暗黑料理超傻眼。美國麥當勞2021年開始，在100多家分店的得來速，安裝AI語音點餐系統，想節省人力成本，卻接連出包，民眾抱怨連連。

[[美國民眾]]
“我受不了且恨透的，是麥當勞得來速，這個新的AI點餐系統。我只是想要能夠跟人類溝通。”

[[前美國麥當勞主管]]
“客人點餐，系統完全搞錯，你會拿到一千份這個餐點，或一千份那個餐點。(麥當勞)現在宣布，要移除IBM AI對話機器人。”

災情接連不斷，美國麥當勞不得不宣布，要開除AI，七月底前移除這套IBM語音自動點餐系統，但強調未來還是會採用科技輔助。

其實美國速食業者採用AI點餐的，不在少數。至於台灣，還是以真人為主，搭配自助點餐機台，消化人流。

[[民眾]]
“我會用旁邊的自助點餐。應該還是要並行，還是要真人駐點。”

[[民眾]]
“如果在AI很快講一講就可以點好，當然很好，但不能出錯。”

有的民眾想嘗試，也有人擔心結帳金額出錯，找不到人處理。AI與真人PK，這回合暫時還是由人類勝出。

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