The technology will be used in its drive-thrus and could be used in its self-order kiosks and mobile app.

Earlier this year, McDonald's bought Dynamic Yield and took a minority stake in mobile app vendor Plexure.

McDonald's said Tuesday it has agreed to acquire a company that is trying to automate the drive-thru. It's the fast-food giant's third tech-focused deal this year.

Apprente, a Silicon Valley company founded in 2017, uses artificial intelligence to understand drive-thru orders, which could cut down on service times. McDonald's said the technology also could be used someday in its self-order kiosks and mobile app.

The Chicago-based company said it evaluated Apprente's technology in McDonald's test restaurants.