McDonald’s plans AI expansion to streamline customer orders, executive says

McDonald’s is ramping up its use of artificial intelligence to streamline customer orders and sharpen its business operations, with plans to “double down” on AI investments by 2027, a senior executive said on Friday, according to Reuters. 

The fast-food giant currently uses AI to verify orders at 400 restaurants in India, allowing the chain to catch and correct errors before food is handed to customers, according to the outlet. McDonald’s is planning to roll out the new system globally in two years, Head of Global Business Services Operations Deshant Kaila said, Reuters reported.  

“We’re still in the early stages, so it’s hard to pin down the exact investment,” Kaila said during an event in the southern city of Hyderabad, India.

Beyond order accuracy, McDonald’s is leveraging AI to forecast sales, determine pricing strategies, and evaluate product performance, Reuters reported, adding that the company is also developing a personalized mobile app that will function across multiple countries.

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The outlet said that India is playing an increasingly central role in McDonald’s global tech strategy. Once known mainly for low-cost outsourcing, India’s global capability centers have evolved to provide critical support across its operations.

After entering the Indian market in 1996, McDonald’s now operates hundreds of locations nationwide and recently opened a global office in Hyderabad, with an aim to make it the largest outside the United States, the outlet said.

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The company is also exploring the launch of a new global office in Poland—modeled after its existing hubs in India and Mexico—as part of its broader strategy to expand global capability centers, Reuters reported, citing McDonald’s Head of Technology for Global Offices Durga Prakash.

McDonald’s previous attempts at AI integration have seen mixed results. Last summer, the company scrapped a separate drive-thru voice-ordering initiative after telling franchisees the technology failed to meet expectations in early trials.

Fox News’ Greg Norman contributed to this report.