McDonald's is scrapping a trial of artificial intelligence (AI)-assisted ordering at select drive-through restaurants after videos of order mix-ups went viral online.

The fast food giant's decision to retire the AI-powered voice-ordering system from about 100 outlets comes as restaurant chains rush to embrace the technology to cut back on mounting labour costs.

McDonald’s launched the pilot in partnership with IBM at a select number of drive-through restaurants in the United States in 2021.

After a thoughtful review, McDonald's has decided to end our current partnership with IBM on AOT and the technology will be shut off in all restaurants currently testing it no later than July 26, 2024.

While McDonald's did not give a reason for ending the partnership, the move comes after TikTok users shared videos showing the system picking up orders from the wrong cars, multiplying orders and producing bizarre combinations of food such as ice cream with ketchup and butter.

Other major US fast-food giants, including Chipotle, Wendy's, Carl's Jr, Taco Bell and Pizza Hut, have been rolling out AI systems amid the promise of faster workflows and lower costs.