Starbucks unveils new AI assistant to ease baristas’ work

“It’s just another example of how innovation technology is coming into service of our partners and making sure that we’re doing all we can to simplify the operations, make their jobs just a little bit easier, maybe a little bit more fun, so that they can do what they do best,” Starbucks Chief Technology Officer Deb Hall Lefevre told the news outlet.

Starbucks’ Leadership Experience 2025

The new tech was unveiled at the company’s first and largest leadership gathering under chairman and CEO Brian Niccol.

The three-day gathering, which involved more than 14,000 coffeehouse leaders in North America, was hailed as an “important milestone for Starbucks.”

“We are bringing together our coffeehouse leaders from across North America to celebrate, empower, and equip them to accelerate our transformation,” Niccol said in a statement. “The coffeehouse experience defines the Starbucks brand, and these leaders and their teams bring that experience to life for millions of customers every day.”

The event aims to accelerate the company’s “Back to Starbucks” strategy, which seeks to revitalise the company’s weaker earnings and sales declines.