McDonald’s is expanding the use of artificial intelligence across its restaurants, with the technology expected to change how employees spend their time rather than reduce staffing.
Its Archy drive-thru ordering system can now handle orders in English and Spanish with more than 90% accuracy, BW people reported. The technology could eventually free up at least 50 labour hours a week at a typical restaurant, with those hours expected to be redirected towards customer service and food preparation.
Employees move beyond routine tasks
Chief Financial Officer Ian Borden said, McDonald’s does not intend to use the efficiency gains to reduce staffing. Instead, employees freed from order-taking could spend more time on hospitality, customer interaction and food preparation.”
The shift also comes with a focus on developing new skills. Chief People Officer Tiffanie Boyd said, “The company is introducing training focused on hospitality and food quality as technology takes on more routine tasks.”
AI takes on restaurant operations
Archy is part of McDonald’s wider ArchIQ artificial intelligence platform, developed with Google. The system is also being used for tasks such as inventory management and staff scheduling.
Other technology is being introduced to improve order accuracy and restaurant efficiency, changing the mix of tasks handled by frontline employees.
US$8.5 billion modernisation plan
McDonald’s plans to invest US$8.5 billion over the next decade to modernise its roughly 46,000 restaurants globally.
The investment will include redesigned kitchens, delivery lockers, updated restaurant layouts and wider deployment of technology.
The rollout points to a broader workforce shift in which AI is used to take over repetitive processes while employees are moved towards roles requiring customer interaction, food preparation and hospitality.
For HR leaders, the approach highlights the importance of pairing workplace automation with role redesign and employee training, particularly as AI adoption expands across frontline service jobs.