When we’re craving a quick meal, there’s nothing we love more than pulling up to the Golden Arches for a juicy burger, crispy nuggets, and sweet treats.

McDonald’s

But McDonald’s just announced a new technology that customers aren’t happy about. Your next McDonald’s order could look totally different, and you might not like it!

Fast-food staple McDonald’s is testing a new AI-powered drive-thru technology at five of its U.S. locations. This tech could eventually replace the familiar exchange of pulling up and placing an order with a human employee. It’s expected to fully automate the order-taking process, according to Good Morning America.

©McDonald’s

The chain revealed ArchIQ, a Google-powered AI ordering platform, at McDonald’s 2026 worldwide convention last week. According to a McDonald’s franchise owner, the new tech is nicknamed “Archy.” A video shared by the franchise owner shows how the AI system greets customers and takes orders, pausing to process any changes or requests before displaying the finalized order and total on a screen and prompting the customer to “pull ahead” for pickup. ArchIQ can take orders in both English and Spanish and can respond to repeat customers who ask, “Can I get my usual?” according to the franchise owner, who wrote that “90% of orders” so far had been “completed without human escalations.”

McDonald’s Drive-Thru

“As more of the customer journey becomes automated, there are fewer opportunities for guests to connect with crew. With fewer interactions, the bar for hospitality that makes people feel seen, welcomed, and valued only goes up,” McDonald’s CEO Chris Kempczinski said in a company memo. “We can’t ask our customers to choose. Hospitality or speed. Great taste or convenience. Value or quality. They want what Ray called the total of everything. They won’t trade one for another because they don’t have to. In a world where every restaurant is a swipe away, there is no such thing as second place.”

McDonald’s

ArchIQ is still in the testing phase at five U.S. locations, and McDonald’s has not announced when or if it will be rolled out nationwide. Reactions to tech have been largely negative on social media so far, with many saying they prefer interacting with human workers. Stay tuned to Disney Food Blog for more McDonald’s news, and comment on what you think of this change!

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