McDonald's Tests ArchIQ AI at 5 U.S. Drive-Thrus After 1 Million Orders
Updated
Updated · Fox News · Jun 18
McDonald's Tests ArchIQ AI at 5 U.S. Drive-Thrus After 1 Million Orders
3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Jun 18
Summary
Five U.S. McDonald's restaurants are piloting ArchIQ, an AI drive-thru system that takes orders in English and Spanish and can also flag operational bottlenecks for managers.
More than 1 million transactions have run through the system, with about 90% completed without human intervention, according to franchisee account McFranchisee; McDonald's has not announced a wider rollout.
The test is aimed at speeding lines, cutting order errors and freeing staff to focus on food prep, payments and customers who need human help during busy periods.
The rollout follows McDonald's 2024 decision to end an IBM-backed AI drive-thru trial at more than 100 restaurants after accuracy complaints and viral order mistakes.
ArchIQ is tied to CEO Chris Kempczinski's broader 'McDonald's > NEXT' push to use technology, menu changes and restaurant redesigns to lift productivity and attract more customers.