McDonald's revamps 43,000 restaurants with AI technology

McDonald's is launching a significant technology overhaul across its 43,000 restaurants, incorporating internet-connected kitchen equipment, AI-driven tools, and AI-enabled drive-throughs to enhance customer service and employee efficiency. Chief Information Officer Brian Rice acknowledged that the fast-paced environment can be 'very stressful' for staff, and the new technology aims to alleviate this pressure by improving order accuracy and predicting equipment failures. The company partnered with Google Cloud to implement edge computing, which allows for on-site data processing, thus speeding up operations in areas with unreliable cloud connectivity. McDonald's aims to grow its loyalty program membership from 175 million to 250 million by 2027, leveraging these technological advancements. Additionally, AI applications such as computer vision may be explored to ensure order correctness before handoff to customers. The rollout of these technologies began in some locations in 2024, with plans to expand further into 2025.