IT之家 October 30 news, according to Bloomberg, Starbucks is considering introducing artificial intelligence technology at its drive-thru lanes.
The coffee chain’s CEO Brian Niccol said on an analyst call on Thursday local time that the company plans to test an AI model running in the background to help baristas “enter orders more accurately and efficiently” when communicating with customers. The goal of the initiative is to allow employees to focus on interacting with customers while also improving service speed.
Starbucks is also studying an identification technology that can identify customers who participate in the service when they arrive at the store, then display a personalized digital menu to the customer and simplify the payment process.
Niccol said: “This work is still in its early stages. We will test first, learn from the experience, and then roll out feasible solutions more broadly.”
IT之家 notes that large chain restaurant companies have been testing artificial intelligence in drive-thru scenarios for years, but the technology has not yet become widespread across the industry. Burger King does not plan to broadly implement its pilot AI ordering system, saying customers prefer to interact with humans. McDonald’s is testing its own in-house solution, and the company says the system can save each store dozens of hours of labor per week, which can be reallocated to other work.
Starbucks reported quarterly results on Thursday that exceeded market expectations, with its strategy centered on store upgrades, service experience, and new product development continuing to pay off.