Starbucks To Roll Out AI Barista

Need a Frappucino? Now, there’s artificial intelligence (AI) for that.

Starbucks already has an order-and-pick-up feature on its mobile app, but soon customers will be able to use their voice to order. The company recently announced a new feature that will allow customers seeking a caffeinated beverage or a breakfast sandwich to place their order via voice command. Called “My Starbucks Barista,” the new app addition is powered by AI, the company said. Customers can also order via text in the feature’s messaging interface.

So far, Starbucks has released the AI ordering feature in a limited beta on its existing app for select iOS users. The company has plans to slowly roll out voice ordering on iOS through the summer of 2017. Starbucks will also make the AI voice ordering feature available to Android users as well as on Amazon’s Alexa as a new reorder skill.

“The Starbucks Reorder Skill for Amazon’s Alexa platform leverages Starbucks Mobile Order & Pay technology,” the company wrote, “allowing customers to order their usual Starbucks food and beverage items as they move throughout their day. Customers simply need to say, ‘Alexa, order my Starbucks,’ giving them the ability to order their usual items from their store wherever they have an Alexa device.”

Starbucks said its mobile ecosystem includes some 13 million Rewards members in the United States, and more than 27 percent of transactions occur via mobile device. The company’s mobile-order-and-pay app reportedly accounts for over 7 percent of Starbucks transactions in the U.S.

Starbucks may have been an early adopter when it comes to mobile orders, but the popularity of it is creating long lines as baristas struggle to keep up with all the mobile orders. Last week, the coffee chain giant started adding additional baristas to focus on mobile orders and payments. The company’s executives are also considering internally texting customers when their orders are ready.