Starbucks CEO Reveals an AI Barista System—In the Future, It Can Predict Customer Orders and Support Voice Ordering

Gate News, April 12, Starbucks CEO Brian Niccol disclosed that the company is actively pushing forward AI experiments and shared a series of internal AI system application updates. At present, the most widely deployed at scale is a system called “green dot,” which serves as a barista assistant to support daily store operations. When employees run into equipment issues or need to understand how to prepare beverages, green dot uses AI to quickly provide solutions.

Brian Niccol said that the key direction for Starbucks’ future AI applications is to predict users’ ordering needs through the App. The application already supports users in quickly selecting their most recent orders, but he believes there is still room for optimization—making the ordering process faster and more seamless.

Brian Niccol envisions that friction in the ordering process will be completely eliminated in the future. AI systems may be seamlessly integrated into the user experience, to the point where users may not even need to open the App. For example, a user can simply say to their phone, “I’ll be there in 10 minutes—prepare my Starbucks order for me,” and the drinks can be completed directly upon arrival. This ability to anticipate user needs and the voice-based ordering feature will be an important direction for the brand to use AI to improve personalization and efficiency.