McDonald's Is Installing AI-Powered Kiosks to Predict Your Order

You want fries with that?

Smart Kiosk

In the future, your local fast food joint might know your order before you even get to the drive-thru window.

Fast food giant McDonald's has installed AI-powered kiosks in 700 of its restaurants during an initial trial period. The menus are capable of suggesting menu items that sell best depending on the time of day, the weather, or that are currently trending — think ice cream on hot summer days — as well as add-on items depending on your current order.

It's a glimpse of a future in which AI does substantial legwork in food service — but also one in which human cashiers could become obsolete.

Loving It

Earlier this year, McDonald's bought Israeli digital startup Dynamic Yield to help it out with in-store ordering and marketing.

Paired with an app, the kiosks could potentially gather a detailed profile of customers' preferences and eating habits. A profile of Dynamic Yield promised it could provide "highly targeted digital interactions" thanks to their "platform's data management capabilities."

Fast Food

McDonald's already had kiosks in some stores, but The next step, according to the press release, is to roll out the technology to drive-thrus and international locations.

"This will enable McDonald's to be one of the first companies to integrate decision technology into the customer point of sale at a brick and mortar location," the company said in a press release.

READ MORE: McDonald’s to automate upselling with purchase of AI company [Nation's Restaurant News]

More on fast food: This Fast Food Drive-Thru Is Now Using AI to Take Orders