McDonald’s lets AI set menu prices

McDonald’s has started using artificial intelligence to determine what dishes cost in its restaurants. The system processes millions of transactions every day and uses them to calculate prices.

This is dynamic pricing: instead of a fixed number set once in a price list, the price is recalculated by an algorithm based on real sales. No person can keep such a stream of receipts in their head, while a model watches for patterns constantly. The announcement gives no details on which factors are taken into account, so treat it as a signal of direction rather than a ready recipe.

If you run a cafe, a shop or a chain of outlets, look at how often you revisit prices and whether you do it by gut feeling or by till data. A good start is comparing revenue and margin by item across several periods. Summaries for the manager built from live r_keeper, 1C and CRM data rather than retellings are what a 1Cifer agent prepares, so the numbers behind a price decision are always at hand.