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Starbucks debuts AI-powered barista assistant to cut wait times

The news: Starbucks is rolling out “Green Dot Assist,” a generative AI (genAI) assistant built with Microsoft Azure and OpenAI, to 35 locations this month. The tool, which is accessed through iPads, aims to streamline operations, reduce service times, and improve accuracy for baristas while reducing reliance on manuals or intranet searches.

More than an AI pilot, Green Dot Assist will roll out across the US and Canada in fiscal 2026 as part of CEO Brian Niccol’s effort to reverse slowing US sales and restore brand efficiency. Starbucks showcased the tech to 14,000 managers, signaling confidence in scalability. 

Can AI brew efficiency? Baristas can now ask questions on in-store iPads and get instant, conversational answers from Green Dot Assist. Examples include accessing recipes for seasonal drinks or ingredient swaps when supplies run low. It can also troubleshoot equipment that’s not performing up to spec.

Starbucks’ goals for Green Dot Assist: 

  • Cut service times to 4 minutes per order. 
  • Fill gaps in training new employees since it has access to manuals and company standards. 
  • Predict and prevent slowdowns before they happen.

With 27% of delays coming from barista knowledge gaps (internal data), AI assistance directly targets the largest service bottlenecks.

A litmus test for AI integration: If Green Dot Assistant can cut wait times—which is the top reason some Starbucks customers think twice about visiting, per Bloomberg—the company can prove that AI integrations solve real problems without replacing workers. 

It’s a strategy other service and retail companies could emulate. But there are considerations: 

  • Green Dot Assist isn’t a single vendor solution. It relies on Apple’s iPads, Microsoft Azure’s AI cloud, and OpenAI’s models and chatbot.
  • Should any of those components fail, like an OpenAI or Azure system outage or an iPad glitch, Starbucks’ services could be negatively affected. 

Our take: Competitors and the industry will be keeping an eye on how Starbucks integrates AI assistants at scale. This is a potential blueprint for using AI not just for automation, but to enhance human touchpoints while increasing efficiency—provided all the moving parts work together. 

This content is part of EMARKETER’s subscription Briefings, where we pair daily updates with data and analysis from forecasts and research reports. Our Briefings prepare you to start your day informed, to provide critical insights in an important meeting, and to understand the context of what’s happening in your industry. Non-clients can click here to get a demo of our full platform and coverage.

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