McDonald’s is stopping the use of its AI ordering system in drive-throughs in the US. The system, made by IBM, didn’t work well and made funny mistakes. People shared videos online of the AI mixing up orders, like putting bacon on ice cream or giving too many chicken nuggets. By the end of July, McDonald’s will remove this technology from over 100 restaurants.

Even though McDonald’s is ending its partnership with IBM for this AI system, they still believe AI will be important in the future. They plan to look for better voice ordering solutions by the end of the year. There were worries that AI might take jobs from people, but it seems replacing human workers isn’t easy. McDonald’s will keep exploring how to use AI in their restaurants.

People are still worried about how AI might change jobs. IBM said they will keep working with McDonald’s on other projects. Many videos online show customers upset with the AI’s mistakes. This shows that using AI in fast food has many challenges and isn’t always perfect.

Original news source: Bacon ice cream and nugget overload sees misfiring McDonald’s AI withdrawn (BBC)

🎧 Listen:

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📖 Vocabulary:

Group or Classroom Activities

Warm-up Activities:

– Charades
Instructions: Divide the class into teams. Give each team a word or phrase related to the article, such as “AI ordering system” or “McDonald’s drive-through.” One person from each team will act out the word or phrase without speaking, and their team members have to guess what it is.

– News Summary
Instructions: Ask students to work in pairs or small groups. Each group will create a short summary of the article, highlighting the main points. They can then take turns presenting their summaries to the class.

– Opinion Poll
Instructions: Have students write down their opinions on the use of AI in fast food restaurants like McDonald’s. Ask questions such as “Do you think AI can improve the efficiency of ordering systems?” or “Are you worried about AI taking jobs from people?” Collect the responses and discuss as a class.

– Vocabulary Pictionary
Instructions: Give each student a vocabulary word from the article, such as “AI,” “McDonald’s,” or “drive-through.” They have to draw a picture that represents the word, and their classmates have to guess what it is.

– Pros and Cons
Instructions: Divide the class into two groups. One group will list the pros of using AI in fast food restaurants, while the other group will list the cons. After they have completed their lists, have them share their points with the class and engage in a discussion about the advantages and disadvantages of AI in this context.

🤔 Comprehension Questions:

1. Why is McDonald’s stopping the use of its AI ordering system in drive-throughs?
2. What were some funny mistakes that the AI system made?
3. When will McDonald’s remove the AI technology from over 100 restaurants?
4. Does McDonald’s still think AI is important for the future?
5. What will McDonald’s do by the end of the year to find better voice ordering solutions?
6. Are people worried that AI might take jobs from people?
7. What challenges does using AI in fast food have?
Go to answers ⇩

🎧✍️ Listen and Fill in the Gaps:

McDonald’s is stopping the use of its AI ordering (1)______ in drive-throughs in the US. The system, made by IBM, didn’t work well and made funny mistakes. People shared videos online of the AI (2)______ up orders, like putting (3)______ on ice cream or giving too many chicken nuggets. By the end of July, McDonald’s will remove this (4)______ from over 100 (5)______.

Even though McDonald’s is ending its partnership with IBM for this AI system, they still believe AI will be (6)______ in the future. They plan to look for better voice ordering solutions by the end of the year. There were (7)______ that AI might take jobs from people, but it seems replacing human (8)______ isn’t easy. McDonald’s will (9)______ exploring how to use AI in their restaurants.

People are still worried about how AI might change jobs. IBM said they will keep working with McDonald’s on other (10)______. (11)______ videos online show customers upset with the AI’s (12)______. This shows that using AI in fast food has many challenges and isn’t always perfect.
Go to answers ⇩

💬 Discussion Questions:

Students can ask a partner these questions, or discuss them as a group.

1. What is an AI ordering system?
2. How would you feel if you ordered ice cream and it came with bacon on top?
3. Do you like chicken nuggets? Why or why not?
4. Do you think AI will be important in the future? Why or why not?
5. What other jobs do you think AI might replace in the future?
6. Have you ever seen a video online that made you upset? What was it about?
7. How do you think AI can be used in restaurants?
8. What challenges do you think AI might face in fast food?
9. Have you ever made a mistake when ordering food? What happened?
10. How do you think AI could improve the fast food industry?
11. Do you think AI will make our lives easier or more complicated? Why or why not?
12. If you could create your own AI system, what would it do?

Individual Activities

📖💭 Vocabulary Meanings:

Match each word to its meaning.

Words:
1. technology
2. partnership
3. solutions
4. replacing
5. exploring
6. challenges
7. important
8. mistakes
9. customers
10. upset
11. future
12. projects

Meanings:
(A) Difficulties or problems that need to be solved
(B) Looking into or trying to find out more about something
(C) The time that will come after now
(D) People who buy things from a store or restaurant
(E) Tools or machines made using science
(F) Taking the place of something or someone
(G) Feeling unhappy or angry
(H) Something that matters a lot
(I) Working together with someone or a company
(J) Errors or things done wrong
(K) Plans or tasks that need to be done
(L) Answers to problems
Go to answers ⇩

🔡 Multiple Choice Questions:

1. Why is McDonald’s stopping the use of its AI ordering system in drive-throughs?
(a) The system was too expensive to maintain.
(b) The system was too slow and caused long wait times.
(c) The system didn’t work well and made funny mistakes.
(d) The system was too complicated for customers to use.

2. What kind of mistakes did the AI system make?
(a) Mixing up orders and putting bacon on ice cream.
(b) Giving customers too much food.
(c) Taking too long to process orders.
(d) Not understanding customers’ voices.

3. When will McDonald’s remove the AI technology from over 100 restaurants?
(a) By the end of the year.
(b) In a few months.
(c) In a few weeks.
(d) By the end of July.

4. What does McDonald’s plan to do by the end of the year?
(a) Close down all their drive-throughs.
(b) Look for better voice ordering solutions.
(c) Hire more human workers.
(d) Stop using technology in their restaurants.

5. What were people worried about regarding AI in fast food?
(a) AI making food taste bad.
(b) AI being too expensive for restaurants.
(c) AI taking jobs from people.
(d) AI being too slow to process orders.

6. What will McDonald’s keep exploring?
(a) How to make their food healthier.
(b) How to use AI in their restaurants.
(c) How to make their drive-throughs faster.
(d) How to make their prices lower.

7. What will IBM continue to do with McDonald’s?
(a) Provide AI technology for their drive-throughs.
(b) Train McDonald’s employees on how to use AI.
(c) Close down McDonald’s restaurants.
(d) Work on other projects.

8. What do the videos online show?
(a) Customers upset with the AI’s mistakes.
(b) Customers happy with the AI’s performance.
(c) McDonald’s employees using the AI system.
(d) McDonald’s advertising their new AI technology.

Go to answers ⇩

🕵️ True or False Questions:

1. McDonald’s is still using an AI ordering system in its drive-throughs in the US.
2. McDonald’s will continue to explore how to use AI in their restaurants.
3. By the end of July, McDonald’s will install this technology in over 100 restaurants.
4. There were concerns that AI might take jobs from people, but it seems replacing human workers isn’t easy.
5. McDonald’s no longer believes that AI will be important in the future, despite ending their partnership with IBM for this AI system.
6. The AI system made by IBM didn’t work well and made funny mistakes.
7. People shared videos online of the AI mixing up orders, like putting bacon on ice cream or giving too many chicken nuggets.
8. McDonald’s plans to stick with voice ordering solutions as they are by the end of the year.
Go to answers ⇩

📝 Write a Summary:

Write a summary of this news article in two sentences.

Writing Questions:

Answer the following questions. Write as much as you can for each answer.

1. What is McDonald’s stopping the use of in their drive-throughs in the US?
2. What kind of mistakes did the AI ordering system make?
3. When will McDonald’s remove this technology from over 100 restaurants?
4. Does McDonald’s still think AI is important for the future?
5. What are some worries people have about AI and jobs?

✅ Answers

🤔✅ Comprehension Question Answers:

1. McDonald’s is stopping the use of its AI ordering system in drive-throughs because it didn’t work well and made funny mistakes.
2. Some funny mistakes the AI system made were putting bacon on ice cream and giving too many chicken nuggets.
3. McDonald’s will remove the AI technology from over 100 restaurants by the end of July.
4. Yes, McDonald’s still thinks AI is important for the future.
5. By the end of the year, McDonald’s will look for better voice ordering solutions.
6. Yes, people are worried that AI might take jobs from people.
7. Using AI in fast food has challenges such as making mistakes with orders and upsetting customers.
Go back to questions ⇧

🎧✍️✅ Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:

(1) system
(2) mixing
(3) bacon
(4) technology
(5) restaurants
(6) important
(7) worries
(8) workers
(9) keep
(10) projects
(11) Many
(12) mistakes
Go back to questions ⇧

📖💭✅ Vocabulary Meanings Answers:

1. technology
Answer: (E) Tools or machines made using science

2. partnership
Answer: (I) Working together with someone or a company

3. solutions
Answer: (L) Answers to problems

4. replacing
Answer: (F) Taking the place of something or someone

5. exploring
Answer: (B) Looking into or trying to find out more about something

6. challenges
Answer: (A) Difficulties or problems that need to be solved

7. important
Answer: (H) Something that matters a lot

8. mistakes
Answer: (J) Errors or things done wrong

9. customers
Answer: (D) People who buy things from a store or restaurant

10. upset
Answer: (G) Feeling unhappy or angry

11. future
Answer: (C) The time that will come after now

12. projects
Answer: (K) Plans or tasks that need to be done
Go back to questions ⇧

🔡✅ Multiple Choice Answers:

1. Why is McDonald’s stopping the use of its AI ordering system in drive-throughs?
Answer: (c) The system didn’t work well and made funny mistakes.

2. What kind of mistakes did the AI system make?
Answer: (a) Mixing up orders and putting bacon on ice cream.

3. When will McDonald’s remove the AI technology from over 100 restaurants?
Answer: (d) By the end of July.

4. What does McDonald’s plan to do by the end of the year?
Answer: (b) Look for better voice ordering solutions.

5. What were people worried about regarding AI in fast food?
Answer: (c) AI taking jobs from people.

6. What will McDonald’s keep exploring?
Answer: (b) How to use AI in their restaurants.

7. What will IBM continue to do with McDonald’s?
Answer: (d) Work on other projects.

8. What do the videos online show?
Answer: (a) Customers upset with the AI’s mistakes.
Go back to questions ⇧

🕵️✅ True or False Answers:

1. McDonald’s is still using an AI ordering system in its drive-throughs in the US. (Answer: False)
2. McDonald’s will continue to explore how to use AI in their restaurants. (Answer: True)
3. By the end of July, McDonald’s will install this technology in over 100 restaurants. (Answer: False)
4. There were concerns that AI might take jobs from people, but it seems replacing human workers isn’t easy. (Answer: True)
5. McDonald’s no longer believes that AI will be important in the future, despite ending their partnership with IBM for this AI system. (Answer: False)
6. The AI system made by IBM didn’t work well and made funny mistakes. (Answer: True)
7. People shared videos online of the AI mixing up orders, like putting bacon on ice cream or giving too many chicken nuggets. (Answer: True)
8. McDonald’s plans to stick with voice ordering solutions as they are by the end of the year. (Answer: False)
Go back to questions ⇧