– McDonald's has been investing in AI and ML technologies over the past decade and has been progressing rapidly in this space.
– The company has a department called Insights of the Future, which performs analysis and forecasting five to 10 years ahead.
– McDonald's emphasizes the importance of balancing opportunity with risk and approaching new concepts and technologies with patience and careful analysis.
– Foresight tools and methods such as causal layered analysis are used to observe and understand new innovations and competitor actions.
– Building trust in AI is crucial. McDonald's has deployed automated voice ordering in its U.S. drive-throughs but encountered challenges with crew members trusting the technology.
– McDonald's values data and analytics expertise and seeks to make data more accessible by using large language models (LLMs) and integrating question-answer voice components.
– The company emphasizes iterating in small, digestible chunks to assess the value of AI and is exploring generative AI through cross-functional involvement.
– Cybersecurity is a critical concern for McDonald's. The company has a clearinghouse committee dedicated to AI data, privacy, and legal matters.
– McDonald's takes a proactive and philosophical approach to implementing customer-facing AI technologies, considering the increasing cybersecurity risks globally.