TTHR

McDonald’s is giving its 43,000 restaurants a technology makeover, starting with internet-connected kitchen equipment, artificial intelligence-enabled drive-throughs and AI-powered tools for managers.

The goal? To drive better experiences for its customers and workers who today contend with issues ranging from broken machines to wrong orders, according to Brian Rice, the Chicago-based burger giant’s chief information officer.

“Our restaurants, frankly, can be very stressful. We have customers at the counter, we have customers at our drive-through, couriers coming in for delivery, delivery at curbside. That’s a lot to deal with for our crew,” Rice said in an interview. “Technology solutions will alleviate the stress.”