US: McDonalds to acquire conversational tech company

On Tuesday, September 10, McDonalds announced the acquisition of Apprente, a voice AI system focused on fast food ordering.

The company said in an announcement that the arrangement is another bold step in advancing employee- as well as customer-facing innovations while bolstering the technological capabilities of the chain.

McDonald’s Corporation President and Chief Executive Officer Steve Easterbrook stated in the announcement, “Building our technology infrastructure and digital capabilities are fundamental to our Velocity Growth Plan and enable us to meet rising expectations from our customers, while making it simpler and even more enjoyable for crew members to serve guests.”

The company also stated the team of Apprente will become the founding members of a new integrated group dubbed McD Tech Labs. It noted that, over time, “McDonald’s expects to grow its presence in Silicon Valley with the hiring of additional engineers, data scientists and other advanced technology experts to join McD Tech Labs to meet future business needs and support deployment.”

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