Would You Like Fries With That? McDonald's Already Knows the Answer

But in the coming years, the company's machine learning technology could change how consumers decide what to eat -- and, in a potentially ominous development for their waistlines, make them eat more. So far, the technological advances can be experienced mostly at the chain's thousands of drive-throughs, where for years menu boards have displayed a familiar array of McDonald's favorites: Big Macs, Quarter Pounders, Chicken McNuggets. Now, the chain has digital boards programmed to market that food more strategically, taking into account such factors as the time of day, the weather, the popularity of certain menu items and the length of the wait. On a hot afternoon, for example, the board might promote soda rather than coffee. At the conclusion of every transaction, screens now display a list of recommendations, nudging customers to order more.