'Ask Pickles' provides quick answers to common questions from workers
McDonald’s is partnering with Google to build out an artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot that would help restaurant workers during their shifts.
Called “Ask Pickles”, the chatbot will help workers get quick answers on questions they might have, including how to clean an ice cream machine, according to a BNN Bloomberg report.
The bot will be trained on everything, from manuals to data generated by equipment at restaurants, according to the report.
“We’re not yet leveraging the full potential of technology, nor are we leveraging the full potential of our scale,” Brian Rice, McDonald’s global chief information officer, told BNN Bloomberg.
Recently, Walmart launched an AI tool for home-based workers.
Google Cloud technology across McDonald’s
The AI chatbot project is part of a global partnership between McDonald’s and Google to connect Google Cloud technology across thousands of fast-food restaurants worldwide.
Under the partnership, McDonald’s will deploy Google Distributed Cloud, a combined hardware and software offering, to thousands of its restaurants so they can leverage both cloud-based software applications and their own software and AI solutions locally on-site, as needed.
“We see tremendous opportunity for growth in our digital business and our partnership with Google Cloud allows us to capitalize on this by leveraging our size and scale to build capabilities and implement solutions at unmatched speeds,” said Rice in a news release.
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“Connecting our restaurants worldwide to millions of datapoints across our digital ecosystem means tools get sharper, models get smarter, restaurants become easier to operate, and most importantly, the overall experience for our customers and crew gets even better.”
Previously, one expert shared with HRD how restaurants can train workers using AI.
The tech-partnership will also bring improvements to McDonald’s mobile app and thousands of self-service kiosks in its restaurants worldwide.
“Through this wide-ranging partnership, Google Cloud will help McDonald’s seize on new opportunities to transform its business and customer experiences, empowering restaurants worldwide with the latest technologies for near-term impact,” said Thomas Kurian, Google Cloud’s CEO.
“Pairing the iconic brand, size and scale of McDonald’s with Google Cloud’s deep history in AI and technology innovation will redefine how this industry works and what people expect when they dine out.”