McDonald’s is serving up a side of AI in 2026, bringing a whole new meaning to fast food efficiency.
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The golden arches are getting a brain boost. The fast food behemoth is rolling out AI across its restaurants to sharpen order accuracy and grease the wheels of the drive-thru.
Chris Kempczinski, CEO of McDonald’s, revealed the burger chain has been sorting out the details for some time. “We’ve got a number of teams looking at how we can use AI to deliver an even better experience for our customers and for our crew members,” Kempczinski told Technology Magazine.
Since 2023, the Happy Meal slingers have been cozying up to Google Cloud to digitize its global empire. This partnership isn’t just for show; it’s bringing high-tech updates to mobile apps and kiosks, proving that McDonald’s is trading its paper hats for Silicon Valley stats to keep customers clicking.
Meanwhile, in an interview with The Wall Street Journal, McDonald’s CIO Brian Rice shared how AI could take some of the heat off their crew by streamlining customer interactions and internal operations. With Google’s Edge computing platform in the mix, McDonald’s is set to sprinkle some smart tech magic throughout their kitchens—making it the smartest thing on the menu since the McFlurry.
To boost satisfaction and ensure order precision, McDonald’s is rolling out “Accuracy Scales” powered by Google’s Edge. This AI system weighs bags to confirm they match the target weight, guaranteeing that every customer gets exactly what they ordered.
McDonald’s Lovers Should Gear Up for AI Order Takers at the Drive-Thru…
McDonald’s is also betting on Google Cloud to overhaul its drive-thrus with AI order-takers. These voice-activated chatbots give drive-thru staff a breather while shifting the “fast” in fast food into high gear.
This isn’t their first AI rodeo; a 2021 partnership with IBM bit off more than it could chew, eventually stalling due to accuracy and reliability hiccups. This time, they’re hoping Google’s tech is a bit more digestible.
With over 27,000 drive-thrus globally, the Golden Arches are getting a structural facelift to match their digital glow-up. McDonald’s announced in 2023 that it’s adding extra lanes to its layout, effectively supersizing its capacity to ensure your Big Mac reaches your hands at breakneck speed.
McDonald’s expects to complete these upgrades by 2027, with many locations already operating multi-lane drive-thrus.