Inside McDonald’s push to have AI price your Big Mac
McDonald’s pricing engine uses machine-learning algorithms to continually analyze data from millions of daily transactions across McDonald’s nearly 14,000 restaurants. | REUTERS
Sep 30, 2026
NEW YORK – McDonald’s is increasingly using artificial intelligence to guide menu prices across the U.S. and some global markets, a plan that aims to boost headquarters’ profit but risks alienating customers and attracting antitrust scrutiny.
One pricing factor supercharged by AI: an estimate of how much each store’s patrons are willing to pay.
The details of how that pricing system works, its extensive use of AI, the company’s regulatory concerns and the tensions with its franchisees haven’t been previously reported. For this story, screenshots of the company pricing engine taken in August were reviewed, and nine sources with firsthand knowledge of the burger chain’s strategy were interviewed.
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