Starbucks is introducing a generative AI assistant, Green Dot Assist, built on Microsoft’s Azure OpenAI platform, to help baristas answer questions, solve equipment issues, and streamline service in real time. The assistant is already in pilot at 35 locations, with a full U.S. and Canada rollout slated for fiscal 2026.
Baristas can use in-store iPads to ask questions in natural language, either typed or spoken, and receive immediate, conversational responses. From finding the recipe for a seasonal drink to troubleshooting machines, the tool replaces the need to consult manuals or internal systems.
Revealed at the company’s Leadership Experience event in Las Vegas, the AI rollout is a key part of Starbucks’ plan to reduce service times and simplify day-to-day tasks for its workforce. The company CEO and CTO see the technology as a way to reduce friction, ease staff workload, and give baristas more time to connect with customers.
Starbucks plans to enhance future versions of Green Dot Assist further, generating IT tickets automatically and suggesting shift replacements when staff call out, embedding AI even deeper into store operations.
The launch also reflects a strengthening of Starbucks’ long-standing relationship with Microsoft, as the coffee chain leans into tech to help revive lagging U.S. sales and improve operational efficiency across its stores.