Starbucks Brews AI Innovation: Voice Ordering, Virtual Assistants, and Future Possibilities

AI voice ordering, new menu items teased by Starbucks CEO as possible changes

Starbucks is rolling out new protein-infused drinks it hopes will reverse the trend and lead to improved sales. Starbucks customers may someday be able to order drinks, including alcoholic beverages, by simply talking to their phones, the company teased last week. Starbucks CEO Brian Niccol dropped the news on Oct. 16 during an appearance on Yahoo Finance's podcast "Opening Bid Unfiltered." At the time, he was attending the Dreamforce conference, an artificial intelligence (AI) event, in San Francisco. "We're also experimenting with (AI) from voice to vision," Niccol said to podcast host Brian Sozzi. "There's a lot of neat things that we're experimenting with ... forecasting, scheduling, but none of those things yet are at scale." He imagines a future in which customers don't even need to open the Starbucks app; they may be able to speak into their phones and say, "I need my Starbucks order. I'll be there in 10 minutes," making the ordering process even faster. "Everything just seamlessly goes through the app, and the next thing you know, you show up at Starbucks and your drink is ready," he said, adding that AI could help the company do this. What other AI features has Starbucks implemented? Niccol said during the podcast episode that the company's Green Dot Assist feature is possibly Starbucks' biggest AI implementation to date. Starbucks announced the launch of Green Dot Assist in June, referring to it as a virtual assistant that helps baristas in real time. According to Starbucks, the virtual assistant is the company's first generative AI tool that helps employees in real-time, allowing them to get help via in-store iPads instead of looking through manuals. "For example, if a barista needs a quick reminder of the ingredients for a seasonal beverage, Green Dot Assist provides guidance in seconds -- helping partners feel confident in delivering exceptional customer service," the company said in June. Green Dot Assist was first installed in 35 stores, the company said, with more installations planned for the near future. So far, Niccol said, the assistant has proven successful in helping managers run the cafes. "If you run into an issue with a piece of equipment or how to build a certain drink, it's a really fast way for us to then give them support with AI to get them to the right answer faster, or to the right solution faster," he said. Another technological addition Starbucks has made is Smart Queue, which prioritizes orders and indicates to customers on a screen whether their order has been received, made or is ready for pick-up. Could robots be coming to Starbucks? Niccol said Starbucks is experimenting and learning how AI can impact business, including how other companies are using it and what that may look like at Starbucks. While discussing potential changes at Starbucks cafes, the host asked Niccol if the company is considering adding robots to its business model. "We're not near that right now," Niccol replied. "We just put more partners back into our stores ... These are real people that are here to give you a real experience with real craft." When asked if AI is helping the company become more productive, Niccol said the company is in its early stages of implementing the technology. However, he acknowledged that there is an opportunity for AI to help quicken operations. Niccol said AI may help the company code faster, but Starbucks is currently using its legacy systems and needs to figure out how to pair that with AI. New eats and drinks are coming to Starbucks, possibly alcohol, CEO says Niccol also discussed new menu offerings, noting that Starbucks is launching artisanal pastries and "protein-forward breakfast items." According to Niccol, the company's egg bites, including bacon and gruyère, Italian sausage, as well as egg white and roasted red pepper versions, have been a hit among customers and are here to stay. "We need to figure out (how to) continue to leverage that," he said. "I'm optimistic about what we can do on the afternoon day part, while we continue to make great progress in the morning day." Sozzi, hosting the podcast, mentioned a Starbucks that was previously serving alcohol and asked if Niccol thinks the company should continue that practice. Niccol said there's room for experimentation at a small level, referring to the Lavender Matcha Margarita and Espresso Martini drinks that are served at Starbucks Reserves, or specialized stores that brew, age, infuse, and blend unique drinks in major cities like Chicago, New York City, and Seattle. Remodeling was also a topic of discussion, as Niccol noted the company has completed about 100 remodels. The company's plan for this fiscal year is to complete over 1,000 "uplifts," he said, noting that the uplifts are focused on adding plants, rugs and more to create a more personalized experience. "I always say to people every coffee house needs to have a couple of seats where everybody walks in and says, 'That's my seat,'" Niccol said. Those wanting to listen to the full podcast can do so via Apple, Spotify, or YouTube. Saleen Martin is a reporter on USA TODAY's NOW team. She is from Norfolk, Virginia - the 757. Email her at [email protected].

Starbucks' CEO Teases 'AI Barista': What Does That Mean for Actual Baristas?

Starbucks Joins Growing Protein Trend With New Line of Drinks As artificial intelligence continues to influence nearly every industry, Starbucks is actively taking steps to incorporate the controversial technology into its operations. The coffee chain's CEO Brian Niccol discussed the matter during an appearance at Salesforce's annual Dreamforce event, according to Fortune. What does this mean for employees and customers? Here's everything we know so far. While customers head out on their local Starbucks run, the company has been testing AI technology behind the scenes to become the "world's greatest customer service company again," per Fortune. In June, the coffee company announced it was working on a tool called "Green Dot Assist." The virtual assistant, which is accessible via in-store iPads, was designed to "help baristas in real time" with the goal of "making their jobs a little easier while they build confidence and expertise." Green Dot Assist can remind baristas how to make certain drinks and provide "exceptional customer service," according to the announcement. As of June 2025, Green Dot Assist was available to baristas in 35 Starbucks locations, with the plan to roll out the technology in other shops in the future. "This is a new era of innovation at Starbucks -- one where AI enhances the partner experience and strengthens the connection between baristas and customers. Because when we invest in our partners, we're investing in the future of our Starbucks experience," the announcement read. In an appearance on Yahoo Finance's Opening Bid Unfiltered podcast, Niccol offered the following explanation of the technology: "So if you run into an issue with a piece of equipment or how to build a certain drink, it's a really fast way for us to then give them support with AI to get them to the right answer faster or to the right solution faster." While discussing Starbucks' use of AI, Niccol also described how the company is executing "smart Q" technology that helps baristas address incoming orders in a more efficient manner, per Fortune. After seeing that orders were taken care of in the order they were received, Niccol realized that created a "bottleneck." The company now focuses more on getting orders out in under four minutes in-store and at the drive-thru and at the scheduled time for mobile orders. A Starbucks spokesperson tells TODAY.com the company is already using AI to "optimize inventory management and demand forecasting." As a result, stores can make sure they have "the right products at the right time" to reduce waste. Many store apps keep track of the items you regularly purchase and present them as suggested orders. Similarly, Niccol believes the Starbucks app could be used as a tool to predict customer orders. A Starbucks spokesperson tells TODAY.com the company is considering the use of AI to help with predictive ordering and inventory in an effort to "anticipate customer demand even more accurately." Starbucks app users can already choose from recent orders, but a spokesperson says the company would like to explore the use of "voice-driven ordering experiences" that could be integrated with AI to create "more seamless and personalized" ordering experiences. While speaking at Dreamforce, Niccol mentioned that AI could also be used in other areas of the business. Elaborating on the matter, a Starbucks spokesperson tells TODAY.com the company could potentially use AI in the sustainability arena in the future to track environmental impact, reduce food waste and optimize energy use. An increased reliance on AI technology certainly begs the question: Should Starbucks employees be concerned that their jobs will be replaced by robots in the future? Niccol denied this, per Fortune, saying, "we're not near that right now." He also said the company was prioritizing putting "more partners back into our stores to give people a great, not robotic" experience. At the same time, Starbucks recently announced major store closures and layoffs as part of Niccol's $1 billion restructuring plan. A spokesperson tells TODAY.com Niccol's speech at Dreamforce emphasized the company's commitment to using AI to "assist" employees, "making their jobs easier rather than replacing them." One example includes the use of AI scheduling tools to help managers plan shifts. Given the company's renewed focus on "human connection," the spokesperson says Niccol is prioritizing technology that will "enhance -- not diminish -- that experience." TODAY.com reached out for comment to the company's union, Starbucks Workers United, but did not immediately hear back. However, it did share a video on social media to seemingly respond to the news that Starbucks is considering ramping up its use of AI. In the clip, a person impersonates Niccol and also plays the role of an employee. The employee expresses frustration with understaffing and says AI technology can't assist employees who don't have enough people on hand to keep up with customer demand during busy times. "Instead of fixing understaffed stores, Starbucks hands us a new AI tool that takes more time and creates tons of waste. Make it make sense! We know the real solution to the problems plaguing the company is a finalized union contract that includes better staffing -- which is why hundreds of baristas continue to join our union every month 🔥," the union captioned its post. Looking ahead, Niccol told Fortune that Starbucks wants to create a more streamlined menu with "fewer, more popular items, executed with excellence." The CEO also told Yahoo Finance customers can expect "protein-forward" breakfast items (after recently launching protein cold foams and lattes) and artisanal pastries. During the Q3 earnings call over the summer, Starbucks announced plans to launch a "reimagined artisanal baked case and a bold new 1971 dark roast coffee" in all U.S. company-operated coffeehouses. As far as the rest of 2026, the chain said it plans to release "more experiential beverages and nutritious-satisfying bites for the afternoon day part." Over the summer, the company tested coconut water-based tea and coffee drinks in some markets, as other quick-service chains like McDonald's, Taco Bell and Chick-fil-A step up their drink game to appeal to Gen Z.

Starbucks CEO touts mind-reading 'AI barista' that predicts coffee...

Coffee shops are blending artificial intelligence into their brews. Starbucks CEO Brian Niccol confirmed that the coffee giant is taking steps to immerse itself in AI experimentation when speaking at Salesforce's annual Dreamforce event, according to Fortune. Niccol shared details about the internal technology that's being developed, helping baristas prepare coffees in real time and might even one day predict someone's order before it's placed. At the annual technology gathering in San Francisco, the CEO emphasized that at the current stage, Starbucks is focused on learning how AI can be implemented -- but it's already helping the company carry out its goal to be the "world's great customer service company again." Right now, the most effective development at scale in the company is a tool called the "green dot," which is a "kind of barista assistant," Fortune reported. A Starbucks representative told Fortune that Green Dot Assist was piloted in June and has since been rolled out to more stores. The tool operates like a chatbot that helps store leaders manage the day-to-day operations, such as providing instructions for equipment issues or guidance on how to make a specific drink. A spokesperson emphasized to TODAY.com that it's only mean to "assist" employees -- "making their jobs easier rather than replacing them." Niccol said the Starbucks app is the main focus for future AI experimentation -- and there might even come a point where customers won't have to open the app at all to order their drink. The idea is that the AI system will predict a customer's order, and all they'll have to do is talk into their phone and say, "Hey, I need my Starbucks order. I'll be there in 10 minutes," and the order will be ready when they arrive. However, Niccol stressed that they "are not near" any concept of a fully robotic staff at the moment, and emphasized that the coffee giant is focused on getting "more partners back into our stores to give people a great, not robotic" experience rooted in "real craft." Starbucks isn't the only coffee shop to start leaning on AI -- lots of changes are brewing with the technology. In Hudson Yards in New York City, an android barista kiosk has an AI-powered robot named Jarvis that's whipping up customers' drinks -- and even asks for a tip at the end. The one-armed mechanical barista dances, makes eye contact with customers through its sole camera lens as they order on an iPad, and complements the preferences of beverage enthusiasts.