Starbucks wants to predict orders with artificial intelligence

Starbucks CEO Brian Nicol announced at the Dreamforce event that the coffee giant is testing several artificial intelligences with different applications. These AI tools are designed to help baristas, he says, and the goal is to one day be able to predict customers’ orders before they even register.

Brian Nichol sees the Starbucks app as the main focus of the company’s future AI experiments. He envisions a future where customers won’t even need to open an app. He described a system where artificial intelligence predicts a customer’s order. The customer just needs to say to his mobile: “I want my Starbucks order.” I’ll be there in 10 minutes” and the order will be ready when he arrives.

Various artificial intelligence tools of Starbucks

Currently, the most effective artificial intelligence tool used at Starbucks on a large scale is called “Green Dot”. This tool is a kind of barista assistant. This internal system helps store managers in managing daily operations. For example, if a staff member can’t operate equipment or needs guidance on preparing a particular drink, Green Dot will come to their aid and provide a quick solution or instruction.

A Starbucks representative tells Fortune that the tool has been in beta since June and is now rolling out to more stores. A spokesperson for the company emphasizes that the tool is only meant to help employees “make their jobs easier, not replace them.”

Another technology of Starbucks is “Smart Q”. This system is designed to handle the chaos caused by receiving orders from four different channels; In general, Starbucks receives orders from four channels: in-person, drive-thru, delivery and mobile orders.

Until now, to maintain order in the management of these orders, the “first in, first out” process was used, which created many nodes in the processing process. The Smart Q system unlocks these nodes by intelligently prioritizing orders at the optimal time. The goal is to have drinks ready for in-person or drive-thru customers in less than four minutes and mobile orders just in time. In fact, it is through the Smart Q system that Starbucks wants to predict orders.