Many consumers can relate to the stressful experience of ordering food at a fast food restaurant. After visiting multiple fast food restaurants over the years and hearing common complaints, the same problem persists.
Standing in long lines during the lunch rush is frustrating enough, but once the driver finally reaches the ordering station, the whole process becomes even more complicated.
It can be difficult to hear the employee on the other end, but understanding the order accurately is next to impossible. After placing the order, and hoping everything is entered correctly, the driver must navigate the narrow drive-thru lane, carefully moving forward to avoid hitting a pillar or scratching the car.
Getting to the pickup window is another challenge. Despite being as close as possible, customers often found themselves too far away to reach their food, forcing them to awkwardly open their car doors to get to their bags.
Frustration often reaches its peak when a customer opens a bag and discovers an item is missing or contains the wrong order. While going back to correct errors is an option, the thought of going back, re-explaining the problem, and waiting even longer can often feel overwhelming. For many, walking away with the wrong order becomes the easiest option.
Across countless drive-thru interactions, two themes remained consistent: the need for speed and accuracy.
Consumers have been enduring these drive-thru accidents for decades. However, times have changed and so has technology.
Many fast-food companies, including McDonald’s, are now investing heavily in artificial intelligence (AI) to solve these long-standing problems by streamlining operations, reducing errors and enhancing the ordering experience, thus preventing the loss of customers to competitors.
In 2023, McDonald’s (MCD) announced a multi-year global partnership with Google Cloud to implement advanced technology in thousands of restaurants around the world. The partnership leverages Google Cloud’s hardware, data and artificial intelligence capabilities to improve customer experience and operational efficiency, according to the company’s press release.
“We see tremendous growth opportunity in our digital business, and partnering with Google Cloud allows us to take full advantage of this opportunity, leveraging our size and scale to build capabilities and implement solutions at unparalleled speed,” Brian Rice, McDonald’s global chief information officer, said in a press release.
“Connecting our restaurants around the world to millions of data points in the digital ecosystem means tools become sharper, models become smarter, restaurants become easier to operate, and most importantly, the overall experience for our customers and staff becomes better.”
In March 2025, the Wall Street Journal reported that McDonald’s was making major technological changes at about 43,000 restaurants. The plan includes connected kitchen appliances, AI-powered drive-thru systems and AI-powered management tools.
“Frankly, our restaurants are under a lot of pressure,” McDonald’s Chief Information Officer Brian Rice told Tech Magazine. “We have customers at the counter, customers at the drive-thru, couriers coming in to deliver, curbside delivery.”
Rice also noted that this level of complexity puts a huge amount of stress on employees, explaining that technology solutions can help alleviate the stress.
That same year, McDonald’s revealed it had deployed AI-powered accuracy scales in drive-thrus, self-order kiosks and delivery channels at thousands of restaurants in a dozen markets. The technology weighs food orders and compares them to a target weight, alerting crew members if items are missing before the order reaches the customer, according to a company press release.
McDonald’s is also exploring integrating voice AI into its ordering system. The company previously partnered with IBM to test the technology in 2021, but the plan was put on hold due to accuracy and reliability challenges, Tech Magazine reported.
McDonald’s will implement more artificial intelligence in its restaurants in 2026 to improve operations.Shutterstock
These technology investments are consistent with McDonald’s broader “Accelerating the Arches” strategy first launched in 2020. The plan focuses on maximizing marketing, working on core menu items and doubling down on the “4Ds”: delivery, digital, drive-thru and development.
Through this approach, McDonald’s aims to attract 250 million 90-day active loyalty members and achieve $45 billion in annual sales across the loyalty system.
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The company also plans to generate 30% of delivery orders through an integrated delivery platform and expand to more than 50,000 restaurants worldwide by the end of 2027.
As the world’s largest drive-thru operator with more than 27,000 drive-thru locations, McDonald’s has stressed the importance of improving this key part of its business. Investments include adding additional lanes, increasing capacity and improving speed and efficiency, all of which are expected to drive sales growth and deliver strong returns.
McDonald’s isn’t the only company pushing artificial intelligence. Several major fast-food competitors are also investing heavily in artificial intelligence to accelerate growth and improve operations.
According to Deloitte’s State of Restaurant Artificial Intelligence survey of 375 restaurant executives in 11 countries, the global artificial intelligence market is expected to grow from US$235 billion in 2024 to US$631 billion in 2028.
According to new research from Raydiant, approximately 62% of restaurant leaders say AI provides a competitive advantage, while 67% feel prepared to take advantage of the technology.
“As consumers increasingly seek personalized and seamless dining experiences, artificial intelligence becomes a critical tool for restaurants to meet these expectations while optimizing operations,” Raydiant CEO Bobby Marhamat said in a statement to Global News.
“Restaurants using AI will not only gain a competitive advantage but also meet the ever-changing needs of modern diners.”
Still, Deloitte consumer industry analysts urge caution.
“More work remains to ensure these investments continue to deliver value to the business and do not expose restaurants to new risks,” Deloitte analysts said. “As leaders across the industry build the foundational elements and guardrails to support the implementation of AI technologies, they should find the right expertise to help them make decisions and support their efforts.”
Wendy’s: Implementing “FreshAI” for automated drive-thru ordering (source:Wendy’s)
chili: Used “Ava Cado” AI recruiting platform, “Autocado” to prepare guacamole, and tested voice assistant for phone orders (source:The Street, Chipotle and Restaurant Dive)
Starbucks: Deploying “Deep Brew” for menu recommendations, “My Starbucks Barista” chatbot for mobile ordering, and AI-powered automated inventory counting (Source:Main Street and Starbucks)
Taco Bell: Using voice AI technology at drive-thru locations in the U.S. (source:Taco Bell)
Chick-fil-A: Employ various AI tools to improve operational efficiency, food safety and customer service (source:Artificial Intelligence Data and Analysis Network)
RELATED: Taco Bell brings back fan-favorite menu items with bold upgrades
This article was originally published by TheStreet on January 14, 2026, and first appeared in the Restaurant section. Click here to add TheStreet as your preferred source.
McDonald’s will implement more artificial intelligence in its restaurants in 2026 to improve operations.Shutterstock
