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Original news source: Bacon ice cream and nugget overload sees misfiring McDonald's AI withdrawn (BBC)
π§ Listen:
π 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.
π€ Comprehension Questions:
π§βοΈ Listen and Fill in the Gaps:
McDonald's is stopping the use of its AI ordering 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 up orders, like putting on ice cream or giving too many chicken nuggets. By the end of July, McDonald's will remove this from over 100 . Even though McDonald's is ending its partnership with IBM for this AI system, they still believe AI will be in the future. They plan to look for better voice ordering solutions by the end of the year. There were that AI might take jobs from people, but it seems replacing human isn't easy. McDonald's will 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 . videos online show customers upset with the AI's . This shows that using AI in fast food has many challenges and isn't always perfect.
π¬ Discussion Questions:
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
ππ Vocabulary Meanings:
Click a dot next to a word, then click the dot next to its meaning to draw a line connecting them.
Words
Meanings
π‘ Multiple Choice Questions:
π΅οΈ True or False Questions:
π Write a Summary:
Write a summary of this news article in two sentences.
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