AI on the menu at McDonald's as > Next becomes the next transformation step and Archy makes its debut in-store

McDonald’s is moving from digital transformation focused on fixing legacy systems to an AI-led growth agenda, using a unified data foundation, standardized POS, and edge compute across more than 46,000 restaurants to improve customer experience and restaurant economics. For CIOs and technology leaders, the strategic lesson is that AI value at scale depends on strong operating discipline: standardized platforms, clean operational data, and tightly integrated automation that can be deployed consistently across a complex franchise network.