McDonald's will use AI to automatically tweak drive-thru menus
McDonald's will use AI to automatically tweak drive-thru
menus
It might give McFlurrys more prominent placement on hot
days, for instance.
By Kris Holt March 26, 2019
When you roll up to a McDonald's drive-thru in the near
future, you might notice the menu changing while you're ordering to persuade
you to buy a few more items. The fast food giant is buying machine learning startup
Dynamic Yield for a reported $300 million, and the first stop for the company's
AI is the drive-thru window.
The system will look at factors such as the weather,
time, local events, traffic levels at the restaurant and on nearby roads,
historical sales data, currently popular items and even what you're ordering to
optimize menu displays at drive-thru windows. It might, for instance, promote
the McFlurry or iced coffees on hot days, or suggest simpler items that are
faster for employees to prepare if there's a long line.
McDonald's tested the AI at several restaurants last
year, and executive vice president and global chief information officer Daniel
Henry told Wired he expects more than 1,000 locations will be using it within
the next three months. The system will ultimately reach all 14,000 US
restaurants and expand to other markets. McDonald's also plans to add the AI to
self-order kiosks and its mobile app, and perhaps other parts of its business,
such as kitchens.
Dynamic Yield will still operate as an independent
company. Its current clients include Ikea, Sephora and Urban Outfitters. The
potential applications at its new parent company are particularly intriguing,
however. For instance, Henry said the company may eventually use license plate
recognition as part of the system. That way, the AI could identify your car and
tailor the menu specifically according to your purchase history.
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