Food - Drink
How Drive-Thru AI Might Make Your Fast Food Order More Expensive
By AUTUMN SWIERS
McDonald's has begun testing a new A.I. ordering system in several stores in the US, garnering backlash from fans, some of whom have taken to TikTok to express their disapproval.
According to various videos from the platform, the A.I. service often mishears orders, adding unwanted items in exorbitant quantities or overhearing orders from other customers.
In one TikTok, the A.I. adds an unwanted soda to TikTok user @resinsbiren's order, and when they request for it to be removed, the system instead adds eight sweet teas.
As annoying but innocuous as these mishaps seem, some less tech-savvy customers might not notice the additional items in their order and could be scammed into paying more.
Dan Mosher, president of Presto Automation Inc., suggests that this may be intentional on McDonald's part, since A.I. systems are effective at "relentlessly upselling" customers.