McDonald’s, the global fast food giant known for its iconic Big Mac and Golden Fries, is not typically associated with advanced artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) capabilities. However, the company has been making investments in these technologies over the past decade to stay ahead of the game. At this week’s VentureBeat Transform event, two of McDonald’s tech experts discussed the company’s foray into AI and ML.
According to Joanna Lapore, McDonald’s Global Director for Foresight and Capabilities Exploration, AI is not a new concept for the organization. McDonald’s has been progressing rapidly in this field and has managed to experiment, explore, and pilot new technologies despite being a systematized business with locations worldwide. Lapore’s team, which operates within the Insights of the Future department, analyzes and forecasts trends and developments five to 10 years ahead.
Lapore emphasized the importance of balancing opportunity with risk and adopting the VUCA leadership theory, which stands for volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous. She advised business leaders to approach new concepts and technologies with patience and careful analysis, rather than rushing to catch up with competitors. By using foresight tools and methods, Lapore and her team aim to understand emerging innovations, explore potential outcomes, and identify long-lasting opportunities.
Zach Richard, McDonald’s Senior Director for Data Science, talked about one of the company’s initiatives: the deployment of automated voice ordering in drive-throughs at its U.S. restaurants. However, Richard highlighted the significance of involving human employees in the AI process. When McDonald’s initially rolled out the technology, crew members lacked trust in its ability to perform its job correctly. This led to further fine-tuning and improvements to regain their confidence.
Richard acknowledged that working in a restaurant is challenging, as employees have to balance multiple tasks simultaneously. Even if a small portion of the machine doesn’t work as intended, human crew members need to intervene, disrupting the workflow and potentially impacting customer experience. Building trust between employees and AI systems remains an ongoing challenge for McDonald’s.
McDonald’s values data and analytics expertise, with technical teams working closely with the business side. While data scientists may not make direct decisions, they strongly advise the business on what’s possible. The company also invests in business education for data scientists, hiring individuals with specific technical skills and training them in other areas and business knowledge.
Looking ahead, McDonald’s aims to streamline processes by using large language models (LLMs) to make unstructured or non-digitized data more accessible. Richard also mentioned integrating a question-answer voice component in the future. Both Richard and Lapore emphasized the importance of iterating in small, manageable steps to observe the value that AI brings. McDonald’s is also keen on experimenting with generative AI, involving cross-functional teams throughout the journey.
Lapore highlighted the criticality of cybersecurity and privacy. McDonald’s has established a clearinghouse committee comprising experts in AI data, privacy, and legal matters to protect its brand, assets, intelligence, and data. When it comes to implementing models like ChatGPT into customer-facing technology, McDonald’s takes a proactive and philosophical approach, acknowledging the increasing global cybersecurity threats.
McDonald’s continues to invest in AI and ML technologies while ensuring the security of its systems and data. The company seeks to strike a balance between leveraging AI’s potential and addressing the challenges associated with its implementation. By prioritizing careful analysis, patience, and cross-functional collaboration, McDonald’s is positioning itself to adapt and thrive in the evolving technological landscape.
