--- title: "McDonald’s Drive-Thru AI Giving Customers Hilariously Wrong Orders" description: "There's arguably nothing more American than picking up a McDonald's order at the drive-thru. But the simple act of picking up a big mac and some fries on the way home from work might be about to get a lot more difficult. The fast food chain, alongside other franchises including Sonic and Chipotle, are trying […]" date: "2023-02-14" modified: "2023-02-14" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/mcdonalds-drive-thru-ai-giving-customers-hilariously-wrong-orders" categories: - "Artificial Intelligence" tags: - "artificial intelligence" - "food" - "McDonald's" - "the digest" --- # McDonald’s Drive-Thru AI Giving Customers Hilariously Wrong Orders ![McDonald's customers on TikTok are sharing their horrendous experiences with the company's half-baked AI drive-thru chatbots.]() *\Image: Futurism\* ## Fries With That? There's arguably nothing more American than picking up a McDonald's order at the drive-thru. But that simple act might be about to get a lot more difficult — thanks to the cost-cutting magic of AI. The fast food chain, alongside other franchises including Sonic and Chipotle, has been [trying out AI-powered voice assistants]() at their drive-thru lanes [since at least 2019]() — with often hysterical results, it turns out. Now, customers on TikTok are sharing their horrendous experiences with the half-baked AI chatbots, [*Insider* reports](), ending up with random packets of butter or ketchup in their order. ## We're Done It's a pertinent topic in the age of [flawed AI chatbots]() quickly becoming a widespread yet annoying part of everyday life. One [particularly disgruntled customer]() uploaded a video titled "fighting with McDonald's robot," failing to remove a caramel ice cream from her order despite minutes of back-and-forth. "McDonald's, I'm done," she said, leaving the drive-thru lane. "We're done." Another customer [ended up with over $250 worth of chicken McNuggets](), dissolving in a pool of snorting and hysterical laughter while shouting "stop!" at McDonald's ruthless AI. A different TikToker [discovered]() that a customer at the drive-thru checkout lane right next to them managed to inadvertently add a diet Coke to their own order — which turned into nine sweet teas when they attempted to correct the issue. ## Fast Food The technology is clearly making a poor case for its own existence. To companies like McDonald's, however, it's a tantalizing way of replacing human workers with robots amid severe labor shortages. In fact, McDonald's is aiming to replace even more human workers in the near future. Last year, it [replaced workers with conveyor belts]() that deliver orders straight to the customer, a dystopian glimpse into the future of fast food. **READ MORE:** [TikTokers are roasting McDonald's hilarious drive-thru AI order fails — and it shows that robots won't take over restaurants any time soon]() \[*Insider*\] **More on AI:** *[Italy Strikes Crushing Blow to AI-Powered Girlfriend]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()