Artificial Intelligence Ordering: First Up at Starbucks

With the announcement today of Starbucks opening 12,000 new cafes worldwide by 2021, they also announced the development of a new ordering system to be piloted in several cafes. 

Dubbed My Starbucks Barista,  this new ordering system will add artificial intelligence to the company’s mobile order and pay app. With the artificial intelligence feature on the app, customers will be able to place their orders via voice command or messages. The My Starbucks Barista feature will roll out first on iOS in limited beta in early 2017 and be made available to more iOS and Android users later in the year.

“We are today executing against an ambitious, carefully-curated, multi-year strategy to further elevate the entire Starbucks brand and customer experience around the world, and further extending Starbucks leadership around all things coffee, retail and mobile,” current Starbucks President and COO Kevin Johnson, who will take over as CEO for Howard Schultz in April 2017, said in a statement.

Artificial Intelligence is still an unknown at retail. AI developers believe shoppers will use it's functionality to enhance their shopping experience, while many other shopping experts believe AI will become too invasive in an already oversaturated tech space competing with consumers' privacy. Time will answer the key question: Will AI become a mainstream shopping tool for both retailers and shoppers? 

Image Source: Ko Fujimura