If you’re a “regular” at your local coffee shop, they may be preparing your order the moment you walk in the door. But now, A.I. might be able to make that happen for EVERY customer.
Starbucks CEO Brian Niccol recently talked about the ways they’re planning to integrate artificial intelligence into their business, and the most intriguing thing is some sort of “A.I. barista” that could PREDICT a customer’s order.
No, it’s NOT a robot that can read people’s minds. (Even then I’d be skeptical. Doesn’t it seem like the person in front of you always gets to the front of the line, and still has NO IDEA what they’re going to get?)
It sounds like it’s more about the Starbucks app being able to predict what you want, and letting you just talk to your device, and say, “Hey I need my Starbucks order, I’ll be there in 10 minutes.”
In that way, it doesn’t seem THAT far off from just ordering ahead in the app, having it pay through a digital wallet, walking in, grabbing your order, and walking out.
For the record, the CEO said they’re not interested in a fully robotic staff, and instead want to focus on the “real craft”, and giving people a personal, “not robotic” experience.
Most of the A.I. stuff they’re closer to deploying is enhancing their “green dot” system for employees, which uses A.I. to help support them with building drinks efficiently, managing flow, and troubleshooting equipment.
(Fortune)
