TikTok perfectly documents the failure that is McDonald’s AI ordering

People don’t have to worry about robots taking over just yet after recent TikToks proved that AI still can’t quite do basic customer service jobs. Sure, we’ve seen them as waiters and busboys in fancy restaurants, especially in Japan. But apparently, these machines still have some shortcomings, since they’re unable to do the basic drive-thru service of taking orders, leading to customer outrage.

In 2022, McDonald’s announced that it would open an “automated store” in Texas. According to the restaurant’s website, robots were meant to make the ordering experience “better for crew and customer experience” and claimed that it would make the order process much faster. Unfortunately, TikTok has proven otherwise and that this system isn’t perfect.

Multiple videos have revealed just how bad these robots are at their jobs that require taking orders, leading them to make a multitude of mistakes. One TikTok user documented how their drive-thru experience led to an order that cost nearly $250. I don’t know about you, but I’m pretty sure no one can finish over 500 chicken nuggets.

Meanwhile, other users recorded themselves fighting with a robot for getting their orders wrong. It is completely normal to have your order misheard here and there. But with a human, it gets fixed automatically. Unfortunately, that isn’t the case with AI servers, which led to customers getting annoyed when the machine isn’t correcting its own mistakes.

Companies like to brag about how AI is going to change everything, arguing that it is the solution to labor shortages. And sure, it’s cheaper to not pay for robots rather than have someone on duty taking orders for customers. But if AI is experiencing this many issues during the ordering process, leaving customers annoyed and unhappy, it seems like this “new staffing innovation” will only drive customers away.

As of right now, this McDonald’s restaurant is still in its testing stage and is only located in Texas. But based on these videos, Mcdonald’s should reconsider and just bring back human employees.