Ride the Lightning

Creepy. McDonald’s Knows What You Want to Order Thanks to AI

October 30, 2019

Fast food sales have slowed as we turn to healthier food. McDonald's has felt the pinch too. What to do?

According to a New York Times (sub.req.) story, over the last seven months, McDonald's has spent hundreds of millions of dollars to acquire technology companies that specialize in artificial intelligence and machine learning. It has also established a new tech hub in the heart of Silicon Valley — the McD Tech Labs — where a team of engineers and data scientists is working on voice-recognition software.

The chain's new emphasis on technology is a move away from the familiar menu boards have displaying McDonald's favorites: Big Macs, Quarter Pounders, Chicken McNuggets.

The chain now has digital boards programmed to market that food more strategically, considering such factors as the time of day, the weather, the popularity of certain menu items and the length of the wait. On a hot afternoon, the board might promote soda rather than coffee. At the conclusion of every transaction, screens now display a list of recommendations, encouraging customers to order more.

At some drive-throughs, McDonald's has tested technology that can recognize license-plate numbers, allowing the company to tailor a list of suggested purchases to a customer's previous orders, if the person agrees to sign away the data.

"You just grow to expect that in other parts of your life. Why should it be different when you're ordering at McDonald's?" said Daniel Henry, the chain's chief information officer. "We don't think food should be any different than what you buy on Amazon."

Greasier and saltier though!

Sharon D. Nelson, Esq., President, Sensei Enterprises, Inc.
3975 University Drive, Suite 225|Fairfax, VA 22030
Email: Phone: 703-359-0700
Digital Forensics/Cybersecurity/Information Technology
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