Starbucks CEO Reveals "Secret AI Barista": Can Assist in Coffee Making in Real Time, and May Predict Customer Orders in the Future

ME News Report, April 12 (UTC+8), Starbucks CEO Brian Niccol confirmed that the company is actively advancing AI-related experiments and disclosed a series of internal systems. These systems can provide real-time assistance to employees, and in the future, may even enable the Starbucks App to predict the user’s order before the user places it. The AI tool with the widest current scale of deployment is a system called “green dot,” described as a “barista assistant.” The system is used to help store managers with everyday operations: when employees encounter equipment problems or need to understand “how to make a particular drink,” green dot uses AI to quickly provide answers or solutions.

Brian Niccol said that one of Starbucks’ key future directions in AI applications is to predict users’ ordering needs through its app. At present, the app already supports users in quickly selecting their most recent order, but he believes there is still ample room for improvement—making the ordering flow “faster and more seamless.” Brian Niccol envisions that in the future, the “friction” in the ordering process will be completely eliminated, with AI systems seamlessly integrated into the user experience—possibly even without users needing to open the app. For example, users could simply tell their phone, “I’ll be there in 10 minutes—prepare my Starbucks order,” and the drink could be completed directly when they arrive at the store.

This “ability to anticipate” users’ needs, along with voice ordering functionality, will be an important direction for the brand to use AI to enhance personalization and efficiency. (Source: BlockBeats)