Starbucks is investigating the use of artificial intelligence to introduce personalized digital menus at its drive-thru locations. During a corporate earnings call on Thursday, Chief Executive Officer Brian Niccol outlined intentions to investigate customer recognition technology upon arrival, customized menu displays, and streamlined payment processes. The initiative was initially brought to light by reporting from The Verge.
The Drive-Thru AI Landscape
Quick-service restaurant chains have increasingly experimented with artificial intelligence for order-taking and menu personalization in recent years. Voice recognition and automated ordering systems are already present in various pilot programs across the fast-food industry. Integrating customer identification with digital displays represents an extension of these digital ordering experiments, aimed at altering how drivers interact with menu boards.
What Remains Unknown
The announcement did not specify a timeline for when these personalized drive-thru menus might be deployed to stores, nor did it name the technology providers Starbucks plans to work with for the system. Furthermore, details regarding how customer recognition will function, which locations will host initial tests, or how customer privacy will be handled were not disclosed during the earnings call.
As Starbucks proceeds with exploring these technical capabilities, consumers and industry observers will have to wait for future updates to see how the plans develop.
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