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McDonald’s is partnering with Dynamic Yield, a leader in personalized tech, to customize drive-thru experiences. USA TODAY

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McDonald’s hopes that an investment in technology is the special sauce that will transform drive-thru ordering. 

The fast-food giant announced Tuesday that it has an agreement to acquire Apprente, a Silicon Valley-based start-up specializing in conversational voice-based ordering technology.

McDonald’s said the technology understands different accents and is “expected to allow for faster, simpler and more accurate order taking at the Drive Thru” and could also be incorporated into kiosks and mobile ordering.

“Building our technology infrastructure and digital capabilities are fundamental to our Velocity Growth Plan and enable us to meet rising expectations from our customers, while making it simpler and even more enjoyable for crew members to serve guests,” Steve Easterbrook, McDonald’s president and CEO, said in a news release.

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Apprente was founded in 2017 to create “voice-based platforms for complex, multilingual, multi-accent and multi-item conversational ordering” and uses neuroscience-based artificial intelligence technology.

“Apprente was borne out of an opportunity to use technology to solve challenging real world problems and we’re thrilled to now apply this to creating personalized experiences for customers and crew,” Itamar Arel, co-founder of Apprente, said in the statement.

McDonald’s has made other recent tech investments.

In April, McDonald’s acquired Dynamic Yield, a company considered a leader in personalization and decision logic technology.

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Whataburger's Sweet and Spicy Bacon Burger.
Double Double without toppings, containing two patties
A Quarter Pounder hamburger at McDonald's restaurant
This is a Jack in the Box Double Jack Burger.
A Wendy's single hamburger with cheese combo meal at
This is aBurger King's "BK Quad Stacker" hamburger

This is aBurger King’s “BK Quad Stacker” hamburger with four beef patties, topped with bacon, cheese, sauce, lettuce, pickles and onions, August 19, 2009, in Washington, DC. It weighs in with 1010 calories, 70 grams of fat, 30 mg of saturated fat, 3 grams trans fats, 210 mg cholesterol, 34 carbs, 6 grams sugar, 64 grams protein, and 1800 mg sodium, not counting the 500 calorie French Fries. PAUL J. RICHARDS, AFP/GETTY IMAGES

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This is a Shake Shack burger in Madison Square Park
Whataburger's Double Meat Double Cheese hamburger.
A bacon cheeseburger with French fries at a Five Guys
A McDonald's cheeseburger and fries in Novato, Calif.
A cheeseburger and french fries from Shake Shack in
This are Burger King Halloween Whoppers, Oct. 5, 2015,
Wendy’s prepared single hamburgers and Frosty desserts
This is a Burger King burger in Bristol, England, Feb.
A McDonald's Quarter Pounder, left, and Double Quarter
This is a Wendy's single hamburger with cheese combo
This is a Jack in the Box Ultimate Cheeseburger.
Burger King Whopper meal combo is seen at a restaurant
The Western Bacon Cheeseburger on display at the Carl's

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  • Whataburger's Sweet and Spicy Bacon Burger. 2 of 20
  • Double Double without toppings, containing two patties3 of 20
  • A Quarter Pounder hamburger at McDonald's restaurant4 of 20
  • This is a Jack in the Box Double Jack Burger. 5 of 20
  • A Wendy's single hamburger with cheese combo meal at6 of 20
  • This is aBurger King's "BK Quad Stacker" hamburger7 of 20
  • This is a Shake Shack burger in Madison Square Park8 of 20
  • Whataburger's Double Meat Double Cheese hamburger.9 of 20
  • A bacon cheeseburger with French fries at a Five Guys10 of 20
  • A McDonald's cheeseburger and fries in Novato, Calif.11 of 20
  • A cheeseburger and french fries from Shake Shack in12 of 20
  • This are Burger King Halloween Whoppers, Oct. 5, 2015,13 of 20
  • Wendy’s prepared single hamburgers and Frosty desserts14 of 20
  • This is a Burger King burger in Bristol, England, Feb.15 of 20
  • A McDonald's Quarter Pounder, left, and Double Quarter16 of 20
  • This is a Wendy's single hamburger with cheese combo17 of 20
  • This is a Jack in the Box Ultimate Cheeseburger.18 of 20
  • Burger King Whopper meal combo is seen at a restaurant19 of 20
  • The Western Bacon Cheeseburger on display at the Carl's20 of 20

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The decision technology is now available in more than 8,000 U.S. locations, McDonald’s said in Tuesday’s announcement, and is likely to be integrated into all U.S. and Australia drive-thrus by the end of 2019.

With this technology, McDonald’s says it is able “to provide an even more personalized customer experience by varying outdoor digital Drive Thru menu displays to show food based on time of day, weather, current restaurant traffic and trending menu items.”

The displays also suggest and display additional items to a customer’s order based on selections.

McDonald’s also announced the formation of an internal group called McD Tech Labs, which Easterbrook says will take the company’s “culture of innovation one step further.”

Follow USA TODAY reporter Kelly Tyko on Twitter: @KellyTyko

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