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 orders before users place them. The most widely scaled AI tool currently in use is a system called “green dot,” referred to as a “barista assistant.” This system helps manage daily store operations: when employees encounter equipment issues or need to learn “how to make a certain drink,” green dot uses AI to quickly provide answers or solutions. Brian Niccol stated that one of Starbucks’ future key focuses in AI application is to predict users’ ordering needs through its app. Currently, the app supports users quickly selecting their most recent order, but he believes there is still significant room for optimization to make the ordering process “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 opening the app. For example, users could simply say to their phone, “I’ll be there in 10 minutes, prepare my Starbucks order,” and the drink could be ready upon arrival. This “predictive capability” of user needs, along with voice ordering features, will become an important direction for the brand to enhance personalization and efficiency using AI. (Source: BlockBeats)